THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


ELEMENTS  OF  METEOROLOGY 


PART  II 


METEOROLOGICAL  CYCLES 


BY 

JOHN  H.  TICE 


tf/  "Nun& 


uam  aliud  natura,  aliud  sapientia  dicit" 


SAINT   LOUIS 

Meteorological  Research  and  Publication  Company 
1875 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1875,  by 

JOHN  H.  TICE, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


[The  Right  of  Translation  and  Reproduction  is  reserved.] 


Chas.  1 1.  Davis  &  Co.,  St.  Louis,  Strassbnrger  &  Drach, 

Printers.  Elcctrotypers. 


Qd 


55 


PREFACE. 


The  opening  sentence  sufficiently  indicates  without  further  remark  that 
this  volume  by  itself  is  incomplete,  and  that  it  must  be  preceded  by  an- 
other, of  which  it  is  a  mere  episode,  and  in  which  general  and  more  com- 
prehensive principles  are  discussed.  It  may,  however,  be  necessary  to 
give  an  explanation  of  the  anomaly  of  publishing  the  Second  Part  first. 

In  a  sojourn  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  during  the  Summer  of  1874,  hav- 
ing leisure,  I  completed  a  work  on  Meteorology,  based  upon  original 
researches,  in  which  I  have  been  engaged  for  over  twelve  years,  the 
results  of  which  I  had  been  employed  for  the  last  five  years  in  systemat- 
izing and  elaborating,  as  time  and  opportunity  offered.  When  completed 
I  offered  it  to  the  Eastern  publishers;  but,  with  one  exception,  they  all 
refused  to  look  at  it ;  and  the  exceptional  case  was  a  compromise,  to  get 
rid  of  importunity,  by  consenting  to  look  at  one  Chapter.  The  following 
was  the  result:  "We  have  examined  the  manuscript,  and  we  think  you 
have  treated  the  subject  with  signal  ability,  and  that  the  work  is  likely  to 
prove  interesting,  and  which  will  attract  the  general  attention  of  scholars 
and  scientific  men ;  but  for  purely  business  reasons  we  have  decided  not 
to  undertake  its  publication."  These  "business  reasons,"  of  course, 
were  understood  to  be  the  same  as  those  expressed  by  other  publishers 
applied  to:  "Nobody  reads  Science,  but  everybody  reads  novels;  if  you 
have  any  thing  of  the  latter  we  will  give  it  favorable  consideration." 
This  we  would  take  as  a  compliment  to  our  system  of  public  education 
if  it  stopped  with  the  first  proposition,  "  Nobody  reads  Science."  But 
if  the  other  proposition  be  just  and  true,  that  the  mental  cravings  of  the 
present  generation,  both  young  and  old,  are  satisfied  with  the  vapid  and 
trashy  romances  and  novels  of  the  day,  then  it  is  the  severest  criticism 
of,  and  commentary  upon,  our  system  of  public  education,  we  have  yet 
seen.  If  such  be  the  result,  then  the  less  we  have  of  it  the  better.  After 
having  devoted  and  spent  the  prime  of  my  life  in  building  up  that  system, 
I  am  loath  to  believe  it;  and  take  it  to  be  that  the  public  read  novels 
because  authors  and  the  press  do  not  furnish  them  any  thing  better. 

But  what  shall  we  think  of  Science  that  nobody  reads?  "Ah!  there's 
the  rub."  Science  should  be  Wisdom;  it  should  not  only  be  Truth,  but 
demonstrated  Truth.  Is  this  the  case  with  what  has  been  dignified  as 
Science?  We  are  afraid  not.  We  have  much  to  learn ;  and  the  Buddhists 
can  teach  us  an  important  lesson ;  their  god,  Buddha,  that  is  the  Wise 


M358793 


(4) 

One,  becomes  antiquated  and  worn  out  in  500  years,  and  then  a  new  incar- 
nation is  necessary.  Our  wise  ones  never  wear  out  or  become  antiqua- 
ted ;  or,  at  least,  we  do  not  know  when  they  have  done  so,  for  we  never 
hesitate  in  verba  magistri  jurare.  But  is  not  that  which  we  accept  and 
swear  by,  effete,  and  belongs  to  the  Dead  Past?  It  certainly  is  without  a 
vitalizing  principle,  for  here  we  have  the  unimpeachable  testimony  of  the 
experience  of  those  who  look  at  it  in  a  business  point  of  view,  that  Sci- 
entific works  do  not  pay,  for  nobody  reads  them.  Science,  hence,  is  an 
antiquated  god,  and  a  new  incarnation  is  necessary.  Here  is  a  glorious 
work  for  a  Reformer;  for  he  who  snatches  Science  from  the  cloister, 
divests  it  of  all  speculation,  and  bases  it  upon  indisputable  facts,  so  that 
the  commonalty  can  understand  and  comprehend  it,  confers  a  greater 
benefit  upon  Mankind  that  Prometheus  did  when  he  snatched  fire  from 
the  gods  and  delivered  it  to  mortals. 

But  I  was  going  to  tell  why  Part  Second  came  to  be  published  first. 
Not  being  able  to  get  a  publisher,  and  having  no  means  of  my  own,  a  few 
enthusiastic  friends  volunteered  to  organize  a  Meteorological  Research 
and  Publication  Company,  to  publish  the  work.  But  most  of  those  who 
felt  an  interest  had  no  means,  and  those  who  had  means  felt  no  interest. 
Consequently  I  found  it  necessary  to  do  something  to  create  a  more  gen- 
eral interest ;  and  I  resorted  to  the  expedient  of  publishing  one  of  my 
Meteorological  discoveries,  the  one  most  likely  to  attract  attention  and 
excite  a  deep  interest,  and  do  it  more  expeditiously  than  any  other, 
namely,  Meteorological  Cycles.  In  a  newspaper  article  I  stated  the  general 
principle,  specified  the  dates  of  planetary  equinoxes  upon  which  it  rests, 
and  made  forecasts  of  the  weather,  particularizing  the  kind  of  weather 
that  might  be  expected,  such  as  I  invariably  had  observed,  for  eight  years 
past,  to  attend  these  equinoxes.  Three  periods,  the  most  strongly 
marked  during  the  present  year,  were  designated.  One  of  these  periods 
was  a  month  off;  the  other  five,  and  the  last  eight  months.  Two  of  these 
periods  have  passed,  and  with  astonishing  precision  the  forecasts,  extra- 
ordinary as  they  were,  have  been  more  than  verified.  An  interest  was 
excited  far  beyond  my  expectations,  and  the  public  demand  was  for  an 
immediate  publication.  But  as  the  funds  were  coming  in  slowly,  I  thought 
it  expedient  to  divide  the  original  work  by  taking  out  so  much  as  related 
to  these  Cycles,  and  publish  it  separately.  Of  course  this  necessitated  a 
re-writing  and  a  remodelling  of  the  entire  work,  and  has  imposed  an  im- 
mense amount  of  labor  upon  me.  To  the  friends  who  have  assisted  me, 
I  am  under  lasting  obligations,  and  return  to  them  my  heartfelt  thanks. 

JOHN  H.  TICE. 

St.  Louis,  Mo.,  Aug.  6th,  1875. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Meteorological  Cycles.  Their  periodicity  and  cause.  The 
length  of  the  Great  or  Jovial  Cycle  determined.  Its 
historical  verification,  Saturnian  Cycle,  etc. 

We  have  arrived  at  that  point  in  the  discussion  where  the 
review  of  the  controlling  Meteorological  phenomena  is  complete. 
We  have  determined  the  nature  and  character  of  these  phenom- 
ena, and  we  have  ascertained  their  causes.  We  have  given  an 
intelligible  explanation  both  of  the  phenomena  and  of  the  causes 
from  which  they  spring,  and  of  the  laws  by  which  they  are  con- 
trolled. Hence  we  know  the  conditions  under  which  they  occur, 
and  the  reason  why  they  occur.  But  we  do  not  yet  know  the  periods 
at  which  the  necessary  conditions  will  supervene,  and  hence  can- 
not tell  the  time  when  the  phenomena  will  occur.  Moreover,  it 
is  yet  a  mooted  point  amongst  laggards  in  the  science  whether 
their  occurrence  is  regular  or  irregular.  This  however  is  a  vital 
point,  for  if  Meteorological  phenomena  are  irregular,  then  we 
will  forever  remain  in  the  dark  and  at  the  mercy  of  chance  ;  for 
as  then  we  cannot  foresee  the  future,  so  we  cannot  make  provis- 
ions to  meet  its  exigencies  ;  because  neither  the  time  when,  nor 
the  nature  of  what  the  future  may  bring  forth,  can  then  be 
known  to  us.  But  if  they  are  regular  in  their  recurrence,  then 
we  know  not  only  what  to  expect,  but  when  to  expect  it,  and 
provide  for  it  in  time,  whether  it  be  to  take  advantage  of  the 
opportunities  it  affords,  or  to  guard  against  the  damage  it 
threatens. 

Assuming  then  that  we  know  all  about  the  nature  and  consti- 
tution of  rain  and  snow  storms ;  all  about  cold  and  hot,  wet  and 
dry  seasons  ;  and  all  about  winds,  gales,  tornadoes  and  hurri- 
canes ;  yet  this  knowledge  dwindles,  in  a  practical  view,  ;into 
utter  insignificance  when  compared  with  that  which  informs  us 
of  the  time  when  these  phenomena  will  be  upon  us,  what  their 
character  and  probable  energy  will  be,  and  the  length  of  their 
duration. 


The  regular  recurrence  of  identical  physical  phenomena  is 
now  an  admitted  fact  by  all  progressive  meteorologists  ;  but  it  is 
difficult  to  gather  their  notions  as  to  the  character  of  the  cycle, 
whether  it  be  of  definite  or  indefinite  length,  and  yet  more  diffi- 
cult to  ascertain  what  their  ideas  are  as  to  its  cause,  or  whether 
they  have  any  notion  whether  it  is  caused  at  all.  It  is  owing  to 
the  latter  fact  that  they  have  made  so  little  progress  in  placing 
Meteorology  upon  a  firm  and  impregnable  basis.  It  is  evident 
that  if  it  be  once  accepted  as  an  undeniable  truth,  that  phenomena 
repeat  themselves  in  periods  of  a  definite  length,  then  the  length 
of  the  cycle  being  accurately  established,  it  will  become  evident 
that  there  must  be  a  fixed  cause  producing  this  periodicity,  and 
that  cause  can  be  discovered.  It  must  be  admitted  that  when 
such  a  cause  is  discovered,  its  nature  and  character  can  be 
studied  ;  and  that  it  can  be  ascertained  under  what  conditions  it 
manifests  itself  as  cause,  and  at  what  time  these  conditions  will 
recur.  Now  all  that  is  necessary  to  enable  us  to  determine 
Meteorological  cycles  is  to  acquire  a  sufficient  knowledge  on  this 
point.  When  so  much  is  achieved,  we  will  be  able  to  predict 
telluric  and  atmospheric  perturbations  with  as  much  certainty  as 
we  now  do  eclipses  of  the  Sun  and  Moon,  or  the  occultations  of 
Jupiter's  satellites. 

Meteorology  is  the  science  of  physical  phenomena,  and  until 
the  true  nature  and  causes  of  these  phenomena  are  known,  it 
cannot  lay  any  claims  to  eminent  domain  even  in  its  own  proper 
department.  Science  is  that  which  is  known,  and  not  that  which 
is  unknown.  Therefore  the  first  duty  for  its  devotees  is  to  prune 
it  of  whatever  is  unknown  even  if  it  leaves  not  a  shred  behind  ;. 
f  jr  in  what  passes  for  Meteorology  there  is  so  much  derived  from 
the  closet  and  so  little  from  Nature,  that  nothing  can  be  safely 
accepted  upon  trust.  For  self-protection  against  imposition  we 
must  apply  the  crucial  test  of  facts  to  everything,  and  whatever 
will  not  bear  the  test,  must  unceremoniously- be  rejected.  Mete- 
orology is  preeminently  a  science  of  facts,  and  of  such  facts  as 
are  easily  observed  and  whose  validity  are  as  easily  determined. 
It,  hence,  is  inexcusable  culpability  to  accept  any  thing  upon 
trust  when  its  truth  can  be  so  easily  verified.  There  is  no 
wrangling,  but  universal  agreement  on  all  questions  that  can  arise 
in  sciences  resting  upon  indisputable  facts ;  and  there  is  also- 


(7) 

implicit  acquiescence  in  all  legitimate  inferences  drawn  and  log- 
ical deductions  made  from  premises  implied  by  the  admitted  facts. 
A  Science  to  deserve  respect  must  be  able  to  do  more  than 
account  for  the  Past,  or  to  explain  the  Present ;  it  must  be  able 
to  divine  the  Future.  Hence  it  must  comprehend  fully  that  fun- 
damental principle  that  underlies  the  department  of  the  Universe 
embraced  within  its  scope.  It  must  not  only  know  this  princi- 
ple, but  it  must  know  how  it  will  act,  and  what  will  be  the 
results  under  all  the  possible  conditions  that  will  successively  be 
imposed  upon  it  by  the  operations  of  the  system  of  which  it  is  a 
part.  Hence  Meteorology  must  know  not  only  the  cause  of 
physical  perturbations  in  the  Earth  and  Atmosphere,  but  the 
exciting  causes  of  them.  Yea  more,  not  only  these,  but  the 
period  and  conditions  when  the  exciting  cause  will  awaken 
from  a  long  repose  into  fearful  activity.  No  one  who  has  ever 
investigated  the  principles  of  Meteorology  with  a  view  of  apply- 
ing them  to  foretelling  the  Future,  but  has  felt  such  knowledge 
indispensable.  But  when  he  has  surveyed  the  field  and  looked  at 
the  labor  necessary  for  its  attainment,  he  has  become  dismayed 
at  the  long,  tedious  and  difficult  way  to  success.  First  the  period- 
icity of  the  perturbing  phenomenon  has  to  be  established. 
Secondly,  the  length  of  the  cycle  in  which  it  repeated  itself  has 
to  be  determined  ;  and  thirdly,  the  fixed  cause,  its  nature  and 
mode  of  acting  has  to  be  discovered.  The  discovery  of  a  Mete- 
orological cycle, — the  most  clamant  desideratum  of  the  age, — 
seemed,  hence  to  be  postponed  indefinitely,  and  only  a  remote 
possibility  in  the  far  distant  Future.  For  half  a  century  scientists 
have  earnestly  been  laboring  to  discover  such  a  cycle,  but  with- 
out success  ;  yet  every  day  the  necessity  for  it  becomes  more 
evident  and  the  demand  for  it  more  earnest  and  pressing.  Pro- 
fessor Lockyer,  an  English  astronomer,  and  renowned  as  a  spec- 
troscopist,  expresses  himself  upon  this  subject  as  follows:  "In 
Meteorology  as  in  Astronomy,  the  thing  is  to  hunt  down  a  cycle  ; 
and  if  it  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  Temperate  Zones,  then  go  to 
the  Frigid  Zones,  or  to  the  Torrid  Zone  to  look  for  it.  If  found 
then  above  all  things,  and  in  whatever  manner,  lay  hold  of  it, 
study  it,  record  it,  and  see  what  it  means.  If  there  is  no  cycle, 
then 'despair  for  a  time  if  you  will,  but  plant  your  Science  on  a 
physical  basis." 


(8) 

Sir  David  Brewster,  in  his  Meteorological  report  made  to  the 
British  Association  in  1840,  says:  "When  these  observations 
(those  of  Inverness  and  Hingussie)  are  compared  with  those 
made  under  my  superintendence  at  Leith,  with  those  at  Plymouth 
from  1832  to  1840  at  the  expense  of  the  Association  under  the 
able  superintendence  of  Mr.  Snow  Harris,  and  with  those  at 
Padua,  Philadelphia  and  Ceylon,  we  see  very  distinct  traces  of 
Meteorological  laws  of  which  no  idea  had  been  previously 
formed  ;  and  I  have  no  hesitation  in  stating  that  when  observa- 
tions of  this  class  are  multiplied  and  extended  they  will  lead  to 
general  results  of  as  great  importance  in  predetermining  atmos- 
pheric changes  as  those  which  have  enabled  astronomers  to  pre- 
dict the  phenomena  of  the  planetary  system." 

It  is  impossible  to  say  what  these  "traces  of  Meteorological 
laws"  were,  for  he  neither  states  nor  even  intimates  them.  In 
this  he  committed  a  grievous  fault.  It  was  probably  a  mere 
light  glimmering  in  the  dark,  a  vision  of  the  night  that  came  to 
him  in  a  moment  of  inspiration,  but  never  assumed  any  definite 
form  or  shape.  It  may  however  have  been  that  he  discovered 
traces  of  covariation  in  observations  made  at  such  widely  separ- 
ated points.  If  so,  these  should  have  been  followed  up,  for  they 
would  have  led  to  the  discovery  of  that  great  desideratum  of  the 
time,  namely,  Meteorological  cycles.  But  this  was  unattainable 
without  more  definite  observations  than  those  furnished  by  the 
method  then  and  still  in  vogue.  To  fix  cyclical  points,  we  must 
have  individual  phenomena,  and  not  averages  for  a  month,  a  sea- 
son, or  a  year.  Averages  had  and  still  have  their  value  ;  they 
have  led  and  still  lead  us  to  discover  general  laws  and  principles, 
but  to  discover  special  laws  and  special  principles  we  must  have 
special  phenomena,  that  is,  individual  facts. 

Observation  on  special  phenomena,  such  as  sunspots,  solar 
physics  generally,  magnetic  intensity  in  the  Earth,  electric  ten- 
sion both  of  the  Earth  and  of  the  Atmosphere,  auroras,  earth- 
quakes, Cyclones,  rainfalls  and  terrestrial  temperature,  have  been 
made  for  half  a  century,  and  some  for  nearly  two  centuries. 
Why  these  observations  have  not  been  more  fruitful  in  valuable 
results  is  owing  to  the  fact  that  each  observer  worked  independ- 
ently, and  made  the  observations  of  his  chosen  phenomena  a 
specialty,  without  ever  dreaming  that  there  was  a  corelation 


(9) 

between  all  physical  phenomena.  After  devoting  a  period  to 
their  work— equal  to  half  the  length  of  what  the  Psalmist  assigns 
as  the  term  of  human  life, — each  observer  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  his  special  phenomenon  had  a  periodicity,  and  repeated 
itself  in  a  cycle  between  ten  and  twelve  years. 

Sunspot  observers  such  as  Schwabe,  Loewy,  De  la  Rue,  Wolf, 
Stewart,  etc.,  differ  as  to  the  maxima  of  sunspots  as  much  as  half 
a  year,  and  as  to  the  length  of  their  cycles  deduced  from  their 
observations,  two  and  a  half  years.  Taking  the  average  of  their 
estimates,  the  length  of  the  Great  Cycle  is  found  to  be  between 
eleven  and  twelve  years.  Cyclone  observers  in  the  East  Indies, 
think  they  have  discovered  a  cycle  that  completes  itself  in  thir- 
teen years  ;  but  Mr.  C.  Meldrum,  of  the  Observatory  at  Port 
Louis,  in  the  Isle  of  Mauritius,  in  the  focus  of  the  Cyclones  of 
the  Indian  Ocean,  shows  conclusively  from  recorded  facts,  that 
the  cycle  has  a  period,  the  length  of  which  is  a  fraction  over 
eleven  years.  The  late  Professor  Hansteen,  of  Norway,  who 
made  Magnetism  a  life  specialty,  fixed  the  cycle  of  Magnetic  per- 
turbation at  1 1. 1  years.  A  recurrence  of  four  or  five  cycles  will 
show  that  this  period  is  too  short  by  over  nine  months. 

Signally  as  each  failed  to  establish  the  length  of  the  cycle  for 
his  special  phenomenon,  yet  the  result  of  their  joint  labors,  was 
an  immense  stride  in  progress  ;  for  their  observations  when  com- 
pared showed  that  the  maxima  and  minima  of  all  the  observed 
phenomena  were  coincident  with  each  other,  that  is,  they  had 
the  same  periodicity,  and  in  every  respect  were  covariants.  From 
these  facts  the  legitimate  inference  is  that  concomitant  phenom- 
ena, always  appearing  cotemporaneously,  that  are  synchronous 
in  their  maxima  and  minima  and  of  the  same  duration,  are 
sequences  of  one  and  the  same  cause.  Observation  has  veri- 
fied this  inference  ;  for  the  period  of  maximum  sunspots,  is  not 
more  signalized  for  its  auroras,  magnetic  and  electric  disturb- 
ances, and  earthquake  commotions,  than  for  its  copious  rains, 
violent  tornadoes,  and  destructive  hailstorms. 

The  period  of  maximum  intensity  of  the  phenomenon  was 
generally,  because  naturally,  fixed  upon  as  the  term  of  the  cycle. 
But  all  observers  had  also  discovered  that  in  this  cycle  there  was 
another ;  a  minor  maximum  but  of  far  less  energy  than  the 
greater.  It  was  seen  that  the  minor  maximum  divided  the  cycle 


do) 

into  two  nearly  if  not  quite  equal  parts.  Furthermore  it  was 
ascertained  that  between  the  major  and  the  minor  maximum  in 
each  half  cycle  there  was  a  minimum  corresponding  in  degree  to 
the  maxima.  Other  perturbations  were  observed  to  intervene,, 
but  which  could  not  be  referred  to  the  Great  Cycle  because  they 
happened  at  all  points  in  it.  They  were  therefore  regarded  as 
independent.  Attempts  were  made  to  establish  minor  cycles  by 
averaging  the  phenomena.  But  the  averages  obtained  by  lump- 
ing the  phenomena,  obliterated  the  individual  facts,  while  they 
disclosed  nothing.  The  result  was  hypothetical  cycles  of  28,  34, 
56,  112,  etc.,  days.  But  when  tested  by  facts  all  of  these,  except- 
ing that  of  112  days,  generally  failed.  At  the  proper  place  we 
will  verify  the  112  days  phenomenon  not  as  a  cycle  but  as  a 
section  of  a  longer  cycle.  A  longer  cycle  one  of  about  59  years 
was  also  discovered.  This  however  is  a  conjunction  of  two 
cycles,  two  of  one  nearly  equalling  five  of  the  other,  as  will 
appear  at  the  proper  place. 

With  so  much  devotion,  and  with  such  indefatigable  zeal 'as 
the  laborers  in  this  field  of  Science  have  shown  for  the  last  half 
century,  it  is  somewhat  a  mystery  why  their  labors  have-  not 
been  crowned  with  better  success  in  the  attainment  of  the  desired 
results.  The  failure  must  in  degree,  be  attributed,  either  to  their 
method  of  investigation,  or  to  the  hypothesis  that  directed  it. 
So  far  as  averaging  phenomena  was  concerned,  after  averages 
had  taught  them  all  they  were  capable  of  teaching,  namely  in 
the  most  general  way  the  existence  of  a  cycle  and  where  to  look 
for  it,  their  method  was  not  only  defective,  but  inadequate,  for  the 
purpose  of  obtaining  definite  and  specific  results.  Whefher  they 
had  any  hypothesis  beyond  the  presumption  of  the  existence  of  a 
cycle,  it  is  difficult  to  tell.  Now  an  hypothesis  is  a  powerful 
instrument  of  investigation,  but  it  must  be  a  legitimate  one, 
namely  one  that  admits  of  verification.  The  hypothesis  that 
suggests  the  direction  of  investigation,  however,  must  always 
be  subordinate  to  the  investigation,  and  never  must  the 
investigation  be  subordinate  to  the  hypothesis.  No  one  can  in- 
vestigate without  an  hypothesis,  nor,  subordinate  to  one. 

After  having  satisfied  myself  of  the  existence  of  meteorological 
cycles,  about  eight  years  ago  I  undertook  to  investigate  their 
cause  with  a  view  of  determining  their  length.  As  nothing  can 


00 

exist  without  a  cause,  synchronous  and  covariant  phenomena 
i  egularly  repeating  themselves  in  cycles  of  uniform  length,  must 
have  a  permanent  cause  that  is  common  to  them  all ;  and  what- 
ever that  may  be,  and  wheresoever  located,  it  must  be  ascertain- 
able  and  susceptible  of  proof.  This  was  the  only  hypothesis  I 
had,  and  the  object  of  my  investigation  was  to  ascertain  the 
length  of  the  cycle  and  the  cause  of  it,  and  to  verify  and  demon- 
strate both.  My  first  step  was  to  collect  all  the  material 
accessible  to  me,  consisting  of  the  records  of  observations  made 
upon  physical  phenomena  such  as  auroras,  sunspots,  Cyclones, 
rainfalls,  earthquakes,  etc.  After  carefully  sifting  their  dates, 
by  lumping  them  I  obtained  11.83  Jears  as  the  average  length  of 
the  cycle  indicated  by  the  observations.  As  this  period  corres- 
ponded so  closely — within  1 1  days  of  the  Jovial  year,  I  projected 
the  hypothesis  that  Jupiter  in  some  unknown  way  was  the  cause 
of  the  perturbation.  I  then  made  a  historical  record  of  all  the 
marked  periods  of  disturbance,  such  as  earthquakes,  auroras, 
Sunspots  and  Cyclones  for  2500  years.  With  these  facts  at 
command  I  proceeded  to  test  the  hypothesis  that  Jupiter  was  the 
cause  of  the  perturbation.  It  must  here  be  stated  that  all  the 
observations  show  that  the  period  of  perturbation  extends  over 
about  three  years,  manifesting  itself  often  two  years  in  advance 
of  the  maximum  and  a  year  and  a  half  afterwards.  I  did  not 
however  admit  any  facts  as  verifying  the  hypothesis  excepting 
those  that  came  within  twelve  or  sixteen  months.  The  reason 
for  the  length  of  the  Jovial  disturbance  is,  that  Jupiter  moves 
very  slowly  in  his  orbit  only  about  30  degrees  in  a  year.  The 
year  1859  ^  ^s  generally  admitted  was  the  year  of  maximum 
disturbance.  It  was  therefore  taken  as  the  standard*  and  the 
time  intervening  between  it  and  the  date  of  the  phenomenon, 
was  divided  by  n.86  years  the  length  of  the  Jovial  year.  It  is 
well  known  that  scarcely  a  year  passes  without  a  few  sporadic 
earthquakes,  that  there  are  always  some  sunspots,  occasionally  a 
faint  aurora,  and  more  or  less  violent  Cyclones,  but  these  are 
few,  fur  between  and  feeble,  when  compared  with  the  incessant 
and  intense  energy  of  the  phenomena  occurring  in  the  perturbed 

*NOTE. — Since  then  the  equally  strongly  marked  cycle  of  1871  has 
occurred.  In  the  subsequent  pages  I  have  taken  the  latter  tor  the  stand- 
ard of  comparison. 


(12) 

cycle.  But  of  nearly  two  hundred  historical  phenomena  there 
were  but  three  intensely  and  strongly  marked  that  did  not  coincide 
within  limits  with  the  Jovial  cycle.  Many  of  them  corresponded 
to  the  very  day.  The  three  exceptional  ones,  I  subsequently 
ascertained  belonged  to  a  Saturnian  Cycle.  At  the  proper  place 
a  sufficient  number  of  facts  and  their  correspondence  will  be  given 
to  verify  the  hypothesis  that  Jupiter  is  the  cause  of  the  perturbation. 
I  have  hence  named  the  period  the  Jovial  Cycle.  Having  satis- 
factorily demonstrated  and  verified  the  proposition  that  Jupiter 
is  the  cause  of  the  atmospheric,  telluric  and  solar  perturbations 
that  occur  once  and  in  a  modified  form  twice  in  every  one  of  his 
orbital  revolutions,  it  remained  for  me  to  ascertain  the  cause  of 
this  disturbance. 

In  the  preceding  part  of  this  work  I  have  demonstrated  that 
winds,  rain,  snow  and  hailstorms,  Cyclones,  auroras,  earth- 
quakes, in  fine  all  telluric  and  atmospheric  phenomena  are 
electric ;  and  that  under  what  may  be  considered  the  normal 
condition  of  the  Earth  and  the  Atmosphere  the  Electricity 
necessary  to  their  production  is  constantly  being  generated  but 
with  varying  energy.  Under  what  may  be  considered  an  abnor- 
mal condition  imposed  upon  them  by  the  Jovial  Cycle,  the 
character  of  these  phenomena  is  not  changed,  but  their  energy  is 
only  terribly  intensified.  Hence  it  follows  that  in  whatever  way 
Jupiter  may  affect  the  ^un  and  through  the  Sun  the  solar  system, 
the  result  upon  the  Earth  and  the  Atmosphere  is  an  enormous 
increase  of  electric  intensity.  What  is  it  that  is  taking  place  in 
Jupiter,  that  he  produces  this  effect  at  t\vo  particular  and  oppo- 
site points  on  his  orbit?  This  was  a  question  I  propounded  to 
myself  for  solution,  and  I  immediately  set  about  solving  it,  but 
fully  two  years  .elapsed  before  I  attained  to  a  satisfactory  result. 

Since  the  maxima  of  telluric  and  atmospheric  disturbances  are 
synchronous  and  covariant  with  solar  disturbances  as  manifested 
by  sunspots  and  immense  solar  explosions,  therefore  the  proxi- 
mate cause  of  telluric  and  atmospheric  disturbances  must  be  the 
Sun.  But  as  solar  perturbation  invariably  is  synchronous  with 
Jupiter's  passage  through  a  particular  point  on  his  orbit,  so 
Jupiter's  position  on  the  particular  point,  must  be  the  cause  of  these 
periodical  disturbances  in  the  Sun,  and  consequently  on  the 
Earth,  and  most  probably  on  the  entire  solar  system.  Sunspot 


(13) 

observers  had  pretty  generally  agreed  that  the  maximum  of  sun- 
spots  in  1859  occurred  about  1859.90.  Calculation  placed  Jupi- 
ter at  that  period  at  101  °  of  the  Ecliptic.  But  as  no  cause  could 
be  discovered  why  he  should  at  this  point  exert  such  influence, 
investigation  in  this  direction  for  the  time  being  was  suspended. 
True,  that  point  is  in  the  plane  of  the  Milky  Way  and  also  within 
about  three  degrees  of  his  ascending  node  ;  but  evidently  these 
were  accidental,  and  had  no  significance,  since  no  possible  rea- 
son can  be  assigned  why  Jupiter's  ascension  above  the  plane  of 
the  Earth's  orbit,  or  in  the  plane  of  the  Milky  Way,  could  have 
any  effect  on  the  Sun.  In  this  way  Inquiry  was  pushed  in  every 
direction  but  returned  empty-handed.  Speculating  upon  what 
possibly  might  be  taking  place  in  Jupiter  was  even  less  fruitful 
of  results.  The  conclusion  finally  arrived  at  was  this  :  We 
know  too  little  of  what  is  taking  place  in  Jupiter  to  serve  us  in 
unraveling  his  mysterious  influence  on  the  Sun.  If  we  were 
inhabitants  of  that  majestic  orb,  we  would  know  all  the  facts, 
and  hence  could  assign  the  reasons  why  he  periodically  sends  out 
an  influence  which  thrills  through  the  solar  system,  and  is  felt  to 
its  remotest  points.  But  as  we  are  not,  our  only  resource  is  to 
fall  back  to  our  own  planet  and  learn  whether  analagous  facts 
are  occurring  there  ;  for  what  is  true  in  Theology  is  true  in 
Science. 

"Through  worlds  unnumbered  though  God  may  be  known, 
'Tis  ours  to  trace  Him  only  in  our  own." 

Jupiter's  influence  upon  the  solar  system  is  electric.  Hence  if 
his  orbital  position  at  the  time  influences  his  own  electric  condi- 
tion, then  the  orbital  position  of  the  Earth  and  of  any  other 
planet  must  have  a  like  effect  upon  them  under  similar  circum- 
stances and  conditions.  Whatever  may  be  the  case  with  other 
planets,  it  is  undeniable  that  the  electric  condition  of  the  Earth 
is  affected  by  its  relative  position  to  the  Sun.  If  annual  telluric 
phenomena  are  separated  into  two  classes,  namely,  equinoctial 
and  solsticial,  then  the  equinoctial  will  be  to  the  solsticial  as  three 
is  to  one.  For  example,  take  the  tropical  hurricanes,  and  nine 
out  of  ten  occur  in  the  Northern  Hemisphere  in  the  months  of 
August,  September  and  October,  at  or  near  the  Autumnal  Equi- 
nox ;  and  the  same  proportion  occur  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere 
in  February,  March  and  April ;  at  or  near  the  Vernal  Equinox. 


(14) 

The  same  is  true  of  auroras  and  earthquakes.  It  is  indisputable 
that  the  Earth  and  the  Atmosphere  undergo  an  electric  pertuba- 
tion  at  our  equinoxes.  All  physical  phenomena  indicate  this; 
the  tides  then  run  higher,  the  barometer  ranges  lower  and  elec- 
tric tension  on  the  Earth  and  the  Atmosphere  is  then  greater  than 
at  any  other  season  of  the  year.  It  is  established  by  observation 
in  both  the  Northern  Hemisphere  and  the  Southern,  that  mag- 
netic perturbations  have  their  maxima  at  the  equinoxes,  and  their 
minima  at  the  solstices. 

Mr.  Brown,  in  his  report  on  the  magnetic  observations  at 
Makerstoun  for  1846,  as  quoted  by  Gen.  Sabinc,  states  the  results, 
with  respect  to  the  frequency  and  magnitude  of  magnetic  pertur- 
bations in  the  different  months  of  the  year  to  be  as  follows : 
"The  mean  value  of  perturbations  is  a  maximtim  in  the  equi- 
noctial months,  a  minimum  in  the  summer  months,  and  a  proxi- 
mate minimum  in  the  winter  months."  Gen'l  Sabine  states  that 
at  Hobarton,  Tasmania,  "the  proportions  of  the  frequency  and 
of  the  magnitude  of  these  perturbations  in  each  month  relatively 
to  those  observed  in  a  year,  come  out,  a  minimum  in  the  winter 
months,  a  maximum  in  the  equinoctial  months,  and  intermediate 
in  the  summer  months."  These  results  are  identical :  for  the 
Winter  months  of  the  Northern  Hemisphere  correspond  to  the 
Summer  months  of  the  Southern  ;  and  vice  versa.  It  is  also 
established  by  observation  that  sunspots  have  a  marked  maximum 
at  the  same  period. 

The  equinoxes  are  especially  marked  by  atmospheric  pertur- 
bations, frequent  and  extreme  oscillations  of  the  barometer, 
violent  gales,  furious  tornadoes  and  a  "swing"  of  the  periodical 
winds,  such  as  the  Monsoons.  At  one  equinox  Summer  appears 
and  leaves  at  the  other.  Winter  appears  when  Summer  leaves, 
and  leaves  when  Summer  appears.  Each  brings  and  takes  its 
peculiar  phenomena  with  it.  Summer  brings  with  it  a  low 
barometer  to  replace  the  high  barometer  that  has  prevailed  all 
Winter  over  continents  in  that  hemisphere.  Winter  returns  and 
brings  with  it  a  high  barometer  to  take  the  place  of  the  low 
barometer  that  swayed  the  continents  during  Summer.  Hence 
a  dynamic  electric  pole  takes  possession  of  continents  for  the 
Summer  ;  and  the  static  that  ruled  them  during  Winter  migrates 
to  the  other  hemisphere  to  bear  sway  over  continents  there  until 


OS) 

the  Sun  returns  again  to  that  side  of  the  Equator.  In  consequence 
of  these  changes  all  the  winds  on  the  surface  of  our  planet,  are 
more  or  less  changed  in  direction,  and  many  of  them  reversed. 
The  causes  of  these  great  and  extreme  changes  are  many  ;  and 
each  bears  its  proportionate  share  in  the  influence  that  produces 
the  varied  and  general  perturbation  prevailing  at  the  time.  The 
facts  that  a  hemisphere  in  which  solar  influence  has  been  feeble 
for  six  months  and  over  a  large  fraction  of  which  that  influence 
has  been  null  during  the  same  time, — being  wrapped  in  uninter- 
rupted darkness, — is  now  falling  directly  under  the  full  power  of 
the  Sun,  and  that  the  other  hemisphere  which  for  the  same  length 
of  time  has  felt  the  full  energy  and  effect  of  solar  influence  is  now 
being  withdrawn  from  it,  contribute  largely  and  powerfully  in 
exciting  the  general  disturbance  ;  for  all  elements  of  physical 
disturbance,  thermal,  electric  and  magnetic,  accompanying  the 
Sun  across  the  Equator.  But  there  are  remote,  cosmic  causes 
that  contribute  to  the  same  end.  In  consequence  of  the  inclina- 
tion of  the  Sun's  axis  to  the  plane  of  the  Ecliptic,  the  South 
magnetic  pole  of  the  Sun  at  one  equinox,  and  his  North  mag- 
netic pole  at  the  other,  are  pointed  more  directly  toward  the 
Earth  than  at  any  other  points  on  its  orbit.  Consequently  the 
Earth  at  its  equinoxes  feels  the  full  force  of  the  Sun's  magnetic 
influence.  Since  it  is  probable  that  the  magnetic  poles  of  the 
Sun,  like  those  of  the  Earth,  do  not  coincide  with  the  poles  of 
his  axial  rotation  ;  hence  if  this  is  the  case,  each  solar  pole  is 
equivalent  to  a  moving  magnet  to  all  the  planets,  and  therefore  a 
powerful  generator  of  Electricity  in  them  ;  and  especially  will 
the  Earth  at  the  equinoxes  feel  their  most  powerful  effect.  The 
inclination  of  the  Sun's  axis  to  the  plane  of  the  Ecliptic  is 
according  to  Herschell,  7  °  ,  20'.  Other  authorities  say  a  few 
minutes  less.  The  inclination  is  nearly  in  the  plane  of  the  equi- 
noctial colure,  or  Equator.  Consequently  at  the  equinoxes — or 
more  accurately  ten  days  before— the  plane  of  the  Sun's  equator 
makes  its  greatest  angle  with  that  of  the  Earth.  Hence  the 
nodes  of  the  Sun's  Equator,  that  is  the  plane  of  his  axial  rota- 
tion, must  cut  the  plane  of  the  Earth's  orbit  at  some  point,  or 
rather  two  points.  It  does  so  at  the  points  occupied  by  the 
Earth  on  the  nth  of  June  and  i2th  of  December.  This  is  evi- 
dent from  the  paths  of  sunspots  ;  on  or  near  the  nth  of  June  or 


the  1 2th  of  December,  their  paths  are  straight  lines,  showing 
that  the  Earth  is  then  in  the  plane  of  the  Sun's  Equator.  On  or 
near  the  nth  of  March  or  September  their  paths  are  sections  of 
elongated  ellipses.  At  t'he  vernal  equinox,  a  sunspot  ascends 
above  the  Equator,  at  the  autumnal  it  sinks  below  it.  All  rota- 
ting bodies,  from  a  disc  to  a  sphere,  generate  electric  currents  at 
right  angles  to  the  axis  of  rotation.  On  a  disc  the  Electricity  so 
generated  accumulates — from  the  effects  of  self-repulsion — on 
the  edge  of  its  circumference.  On  a  sphere  from  the  same  cause 
it  collects  on  the  equatorial  belt.  Electric  charges  are  always 
driven  by  repulsion  to  the  remotest  points  from  the  centre. 
Hence  electric  currents  carry  Matter  away  from  the  centre 
towards  the  circumference  ;  and  electric  Repulsion,  and  not  cen- 
trifugal force — as  the  mechanical  theorists  suppose, — has  given 
the  form  of  oblate  spheroids  to  all  the  planets. 

The  mutual  disturbance  of  the  Sun  and  a  planet  at  the  time  of 
the  latter's  equinox,  is  explicable  upon  well  established  electric 
laws.  Viewed  upon  electric  principles,  a  rotating  disc  and  a 
rotating  sphere,  as  far  as  the  generation  of  Electricity  is  con- 
cerned, are  identical ;  and  how  a  pair  of  each  will  mutually 
affect  each  other  is  exemplified  by  two  circulating  currents  with 
fixed  centres  but  flowing  in  different  planes  which  are  free  to 
assume  any  position.  If  they  circulate  in  the  same  plane,  they 
remain  at  rest.  If  they  circulate  in  different  planes,  they  mutu- 
ally exert  such  an  influence  upon  each  other  as  to  change  their 
planes  until  they  coincide.  Consequently  it  is  evident  that  when 
they  circulate  in  one  and  the  same  plane,  they  are  in  equilibrium, 
and  exert  no  disturbing  effect  upon  each  other.  Hence  it  fol- 
lows that  when  they  are  out  of  the  same  plane,  that  is,  when 
their  planes  of  circulation  intersect  each  other  at  the  greatest  angle, 
possible,  they  exert  the  greatest  disturbing  influence  upon  one 
another.  It  has  been  ascertained  that  the  tendency  of  this  influ- 
ence is  mutually  to  swing  each  other  around  into  the  same  plane. 
Now  from  the  inclination,  and  from  the  direction  of  the  inclina- 
tion of  the  Sun's  axis  of  rotation  to  the  plane  of  the  Ecliptic, 
and  from  the  inclination  of  the  Earth's  axis  of  rotation  to  the 
plane  of  its  orbit,  it  follows  that  the  plane  (equator)  of  the  Sun's 
rotation,  and  that  of  the  Earth,  make  their  greatest  angle  with 
each  other  at  or  about  the  equinoxes.  And  since,  as  we  have 


seen,  the  equatorial  belts  of  all  spheres,  and  especially  of  spher- 
oids by  the  operation  of  a  universal  law,  become  more  intensely 
charged  with  Electricity  than  any  other  points  on  their  surfaces, 
hence  whatever  electric  influence  they  are  capable  of  exerting 
upon  each  other,  must  be  at  its  maximum  when  their  planes  of 
rotation  make  the  greatest  angle  with  each  other. 

Astronomy  establishes  two  points,  namely,  that  at  the  equi- 
noxes the  Earth's  Equator  has  its  greatest  obliquity  to  that  of  the 
Sun ;  and  that  at  or  near  the  solstices  it  has  its  least,  since  the 
plane  of  solar  rotation  then  passes  through  the  Earth.  Electric 
laws  exact  that  under  such  conditions  electric  excitement  should 
be  at  its  maximum  at  the  equinoxes,  and  at  its  minimum  at 
the  solstices,  and  observation  has  confirmed  that  the  facts  corres- 
pond with  the  obvious  deductions  of  Reason. 

An  investigation  of  the  facts  of  our  own  Globe  has  disclosed 
phenomena  that  Reason  suggests  must  be  analogous  to  those  that 
must  be  taking  place  in  Jupiter,  when  he  sends  forth  periodically 
that  mysterious  influence  that  affects  the  entire  solar  system. 
These  terrestrial  phenomena  we  have  ascertained  occur  invaria- 
bly when  the  Earth  passes  the  equinoctial  points.  We  have  seen 
that  physical  changes,  opposite  in  character,  are  taking  place  in 
both  its  polar  hemispheres  which  affect  their  thermal,  their  elec- 
tric, magnetic,  pneumatic  and  hygrometric  condition.  Behind 
these  obvious  changes  we  have  discovered  cosmic  causes  and 
laws,  whose  inevitable  influence  under  the  existing  physical  cir- 
cumstances is  to  intensify  these  phenomena.  Analogy  justifies 
and  legitimates  the  application  of  these  physical  facts  and  the 
principles  in  which  they  have  their  being,  not  only  to  Jupiter, 
but  to  all  the  planets  of  the  solar  system,  for  the  same  laws  and 
causes  existing  there,  must  under  similar  conditions  effect  the 
same  results. 

It  is  an  old  fact,  well  known  but  not  comprehended,  that  in  a 
system  of  insulated  bodies  we  can  neither  increase  nor  diminish 
the  electric  tension  on  any  one  of  them,  without  changing  in  the 
same  degree  the  electric  tension  in  all.  Applying  this  principle 
to  the  solar  system,  if  from  internal  or  extraneous  influences  an 
electric  charge  is  evolved  on  a  planet,  or  is  either  augmented  or 
diminished,  then  that  planet  not  only  disturbs  his  neighboring 
planet,  but  all  his  co-planets  and  even  the  great  Sun  himself, 


This  fact  discloses  the  inspiring  truth  that  the  Universe  is  fax 
more  symmetrical  in  its  structure  and  far  more  delicate  in  the  ad- 
justment of  its  parts,  than  our  crude  and  inelastic  theories  per- 
mit us  to  imagine.  Myriads  of  facts  exist  that  teach  us  this  en- 
nobling and  sublime  truth  ;  but  we  are  too  blind  to  perceive  the 
phenomena,  too  deaf  to  hear  the  voice  of  Nature  addressed  to  us 
through  them,  and  too  ignorant  to  understand  their  meaning. 
The  difficulty  in  attaining  to  a  true  conception  of  the  solar  sys- 
tem and  of  the  structure  of  the  Universe,  is  not  because  that  sys- 
tem is  abstruse,  for  it  is  perfectly  plain  and  comprehensible,  but 
because  we  are  afflicted  with  a  mental  nightmare,  the  Mechani- 
'cal  Theory,  that  presses  upon  us  and  renders  us  mentally  help- 
less. Its  overshadowing  notion  is  that  the  Universe  is  a  rigid 
machine,  operated  by  mechanical  powers  ;  hence  it  not  only 
checks  but  represses  thought  in  the  direction  that  would  lead  to 
the  conception  of  a  pure  dynamical  theory  of  the  Universe  with 
a  structure  and  adjustment  of  its  parts  such  as  to  be  normally  a 
perpetual  motion  under  the  influence  of  a  system  of  Cosmical 
Forces. 

There  are  two  facts  that  are  undeniable  ;  which  are  not  only 
necessary  to  establish  our  theory  but  they  render  it  incontestable. 
The  first  fact  is  that  the  Earth  and  the  Atmosphere  at  the  equi- 
noxes always  undergo  an  intense  electric  disturbance  ;  and  the 
second  is  that  the  telluric  disturbance  extends  to  and  affects  the 
Sun  ;  and  hence  even  though  she  may  not  directly  communicate 
her  disturbing  influence  to  the  other  planets,  yet  she  does  so  indi- 
rectly through  the  Sun.  Since  this  action  of  the  Earth  is  so  evi- 
dent as  to  be  incontestable  therefore  by  an  extension  of  the  prin- 
ciple it  must  follow  that  Jupiter,  with  a  volume  1491  times 
greater  than  the  Earth,  when  undergoing  an  electric  perturbation 
must  obviously  affect  the  whole  solar  system. 

It  is  not  presumable  that  the  physical  relations  of  planets  to 
causes  of  disturbances  are  identical  in  every  respect  with  those 
of  the  Earth.  In  fact  we  know  they  are  not.  The  relations  of 
one  planet  in  regard  to  the  Sun  may  be  such  that  some  of  the 
elements  of  disturbance  may  have  less  energy  than  in  other  plan- 
ets, and  other  elements  have  more  ;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  all  the  elements  of  perturbation  are  physically  interwoven 
with,  and  inseparable  from  the  planetary  system.  Physically 


C'9) 

we  know  that  they  do  disturb  each  other,  for  it  takes  place  under 
our  eyes.  At  one  time  we  see  they  retard,  and  at  other  times 
accelerate  each  others  velocities,  and  are  constantly  forcing  each 
other  to  make  deviations  from  their  regular  orbital  path.  Since 
it  is  indisputable  that  they  influence  each  other  in  their  paths 
through  Space,  why  should  it  appear  incredible  that  they  affect 
each  other  dynamically,  either  directly  or  through  the  mediation 
of  the  Sun?  We  predict  that  when  Science  has  so  far  advanced, 
that  it  can  and  will  observe  the  phenomena  resulting  from  what 
are  now  supposed  to  be  mechanical  influences,  it  will  be  ascer- 
tained that  they  are  not  mechanical  but  dynamic,  and  are  pro- 
duced by  electric  induction,  repulsion  and  attraction ;  and 
that  more  or  less  an  electric  disturbance  then  takes  place  in  the 
planet.  Since  the  orbit  of  each  planet  inclines  at  different  angles 
to  the  plane  of  the  Ecliptic  (the  Earth's  orbit  projected  into 
Space)  therefore  no  two  planetary  orbits  can  make  the  same 
angles  with  the  solar  equator,  and  hence  all  must  experience  an 
electric  perturbation  when  they  pass  the  points  on  their  orbits 
where  the  plane  of  their  axial  rotation  makes  the  greatest  angle 
with  that  of  solar.  Then  again,  no  two  planets  have  the  same 
inclination  of  their  axis  of  rotation  to  the  planes  of  their  orbits. 
Hence  while  some  of  the  elements  of  perturbation  may  affect 
them  less  than  on  the  Earth,  others  may  affect  them  more,  but 
evidently  none  are  null. 

We  will  note  a  few  modifying  influences  operating  in  Jupiter, 
some  of  which  must  moderate  while  others  must  aggravate  his 
perturbation  at  the  critical  periods.  The  fact  that  his  polar  axis 
makes  only  an  angle  of  3  °  with  the  perpendicular  of  the  plane 
of  his  orbit,  must  modify  the  violence  of  the  transitions  of  his 
seasons,  as  compared  with  those  of  the  Earth.  In  fact  Summer 
and  Winter  themselves  cannot  be  as  strongly  marked  in  Jupiter 
as  on  the  Earth,  from  the  comparatively  small  obliquity  of  his 
axis  of  rotation  as  compared  with  that  of  the  Earth,  notwith- 
standing his  greatly  flattened  poles,  his  polar  diameter,  accord- 
ing to  Miiller,  being  one-fourteenth  less  than  his  equatorial,  while 
that  of  the  Earth  is  only  one  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
ninth  less.  On  the  contrary  his  great  polar  compression,  his 
enormous  bulk,  and  the  great  velocity  of  his  axial  rotation 
immeasurably  intensify  evolution  of  Electricity,  and  con- 


(20) 

sequently  its   tension  on  his  equatorial  belt  where   it  naturally 
collects. 

The  physical  aspects  of  Jupiter,  if  closely  observed,  must  afford 
evidence  of  the  intensity  of  the  electric  charge  upon  him  and 
upon  his  atmosphere  during  his  equinoctial  perturbations.  Rea- 
son suggests  this ;  but  here  again,  as  at  so  many  other  points, 
when  we  logically  push  inquiry  'to  and  beyond  the  outposts  of 
Knowledge,  we  find  no  systematic  observations.  But  if  the  facts 
be — as  this  legitimate  inference  from  the  theory  suggests, — then 
they  must  be  too  obvious  to  have  escaped  observation  entirely  for 
over  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  which  is  not  possible,  because 
ever  since  Galileo,  in  1610,  discovered  his  satelites,  Jupiter  and 
the  Jovial  system  have  been  under  constant  observation  and  study. 

On  the  physical  aspects  of  Jupiter  we  find  only  observations 
recorded  on  periodical  spots,  on  his  belts,  and  on  variations  in  the 
size  and  color  of  the  belts.  The  dark  spots  evidently  belong  to 
the  body  of  the  planet  since  they  never  change  in  position  and 
pass  across  the  disc  parallel  to  his  equator  and  with  uniform  ve- 
locity. In  fact  the  time  of  the  axial  rotation  of  Jupiter  has 
been  determined  by  these  spots.  Cassini,  in  the  winter  of  1665 
and  1666,  observed  a  spot  which  afterwards  reappeared  seven 
times  between  that  year  and  1708.  It  generally  remained  visible 
about  a  year,  and  then  disappeared  for  five  years.  Or  in  other 
words,  the  interval  between  Jupiter's  equinoxes  is  six  years,  lack- 
ing only  twenty-two  days.  The  frequent  reappearance  of  this 
identical  spot  leaves  no  doubt  that  it  is  permanent  on  the  body  of 
the  planet ;  and  that  its  disappearance  is  owing  to  the  interposi- 
tion of  clouds  in  the  atmosphere  of  Jupiter.  I  find  that  Brew- 
ster,  more  than  forty  years  ago,  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion. 
In  1785  and  1786,  while  Jupiter  was  at  his  perihelion,  Schroeter 
observed  several  spots  which  were  black  and  round.  These  spots 
however  must  not  be  confounded  with  those  that  result  from  the 
breaking  up  of  the  belts,  which  distribute  themselves  over  the 
whole  face  of  the  planet,  and  which  revolve  with  varying  rapid- 
ity. These  latter  spots  have  different  shades  of  light,  from  dark 
to  very  bright. 

Sir  John  Herschel  supposed  that  even  the  belts  were  the  dark 
body  of  the  planet,  and  assigned  as  a  reason  that  these  belt, 
never  come  up  in  all  their  strength  to  the  edge  of  the  disc,  but 


(21) 

gradually  fade  away  before  they  reach  it.  I  cannot  concur  in  this 
opinion,  because  the  belts  never  are  persistent  either  in  in  esse 
form,  size,  position  or  color.  Sometimes  they  are  absent.  Gen- 
erally they  consist  of  straight  lines  forming  continuous  belts 
around  the  body  of  the  planets.  Sometimes  however  the  belts 
are  discontinuous,  and  at  other  times  the  lines  are  curved  and  ir- 
regular, but  lying  in  belts  all  of  which  are  parallel  to  the  planet's 
equator.  The  belts  sometimes  break  up,  forming  transient  spots, 
which  may  spread  over  the  whole  face  of  the  planet,  and  which 
move  with  varying  velocity  across  its  face.  The  facts  seem  con- 
clusive that  they  cannot  belong  to  the  surface  of  the  planet,  but  to 
its  atmosphere. 

Different  opinions  have  been  held  as  to  the  cause  of  these  spots 
.and  belts.  Some  supposed  they  were  clouds  and  openings  in  the 
planet's  atmosphere.  So  far  as  the  belts  are  concerned  we  have 
no  doubt  that  this  is  true ;  but  it  evidently  is  erroneous  as  to  the 
persistent  spots  which  are  always  the  same  in  form,  position  and 
size,  appearing  at  regular  intervals,  and  after  having  been  visible 
for  nearly  a  year,  disappear,  and  are  not  seen  again  for  five  years. 
Others  regard  the  spots  and  belts  as  indications  of  great  physical 
revolutions  perpetually  agitating  and  changing  the  face  of  the 
planet.  Had  they  said  physical  perturbations  that  affect  the 
planet's  atmosphere  we  would  think  them  about  right.  But 
when  they  ascribe  these  appearances  to  incessant  physical  revo- 
lutions that  are  continously  changing  the  aspects  of  the  planet, 
they  propound  an  hypothesis  so  palpably  absurd  as  to  require  no 
refutation.  These  appearances  can  be  explained  by  far  more 
rational  causes  than  perpetual  vexings  of  the  planet  by  hurri- 
canes, waterspouts,  inundations  and  earthquakes ;  in  fact,  they 
can  be  explained  upon  natural  causes  so  obvious  as  to  be  self- 
evident. 

We  have  already  adverted  to  the  fact  that  the  spot  first  observed 
l>y  Cassini,  reappeared  about  every  six  years,  remained  visible 
for  from  five  to  ten  months,  and  then  disappeared,  but  invariably 
returned  in  about  five  years.  This  is  very  significant,  because  it 
coincides  precisely  with  the  interval  between  the  equinoxes  of 
Jupiter,  namely,  5.93  years.  Schroeter,  in  the  Winter  of  1785 
and  1786,  observed  the  same  spot  discovered  by  Cassini  120 
years  before.  Schroeter  incidentally  remarks  that  the  planet  was 


(22) 

then  at  his  -perihelion.  In  1834  Madler  and  Beer  saw  and  figured 
the  same  spot  and  several  others,  all  of  which  remained  visible  from 
the  4th  of  November,  1834,  till  the  iSth  of  April,  1835.  Now 
it  is  remarkable  that  at  the  time  these  spots  were  seen  Jupiter 
had  just  passed  his  perihelion.  When  we  examine  the  position 
of  Jupiter  at  the  time  Cassini  discovered  the  spot,  and  his  posi- 
tions at  the  periods  of  the  subsequent  reappearances  for  43  years, 
the  period  of  its  reappearance  is  invariably  found  to  be  when  the 
planet  was  either  at  or  near  his  perihelion,  or  aphelion.  The 
perihelion  and  aphelion  points,  let  it  be  remembered,  are  like  the 
same  points  on  the  Earth's  orbit,  intermediate  between  the  equi- 
noctial points,  and  hence  mark  the  planet's  greatest  tranquillity. 
Our  theory  is  that  at  his  equinoctial  points,  Jupiter  suffers  phy- 
sical perturbations  both  in  its  body  and  in  its  atmosphere,  proba- 
bly more  intense  than  our  telluric  disturbances  at  our  equinoxes. 
These  will  cause  similar  atmospheric  and  physical  paroxysms  in 
Jupiter  as  our  equinoctial  disturbances  do,  namely,  electric  and 
magnetic  storms  and  earthquakes  in  the  body  of  the  planet ;  and 
in  the  Atmosphere  violent  tornadoes  and  hurricanes,  accom- 
panied with  terrible  electric  explosions  and  heavy  rain  and  hail 
storms. 

Since  the  equinoctial  perturbation  of  Jupiter  lasts  about  three 
years,  namely,  one  and  a  half  year  before  and  nearly  as  long 
after  he  passes  the  point,  hence  during  this  time  his  atmosphere 
must  be  more  than  usually  surcharged  with  clouds  that  will  form 
continuous  belts  around  his  body,  impenetrable  to  the  sight ;  and 
hence  nothing  on  his  surface  during  this  period  can  be  visible  to 
us.  But  at  his  perihelion,  and  also  at  his  aphelion — each  mid- 
way between  the  equinoctial  points — the  perturbation  being  at 
its  minimum,  cloud  formation  must  also  be,  and  hence  his  atmos- 
phere serener  than  at  any  other  time.  It  therefore  follows,  that 
if  any  thing  on  his  surface  is  visible  to  us  at  any  time,  it  must  be 
at  the  period  when  he  is  either  at  or  near  his  perihelion  or  aphe- 
lion. Now  it  so  happens,  that  always  when  Jupiter  is  at  or 
near  these  points  that  these  persistent  black  spots  are  seen  on  his 
disc  ;  and  seen  only  so  long  as  the  theory  assigns  for  the  duration 
of  the  interval  between  the  disappearance  and  return  of  his 
cloudy  season.  If  this  be  not  considered  as  sufficient  proof,  and 
a  confirmation  and  verification  of  the  truth  of  the  theory,  then  it 


must  still  be  admitted  that  it  is  at  least  a  most  remarkable  coin- 
cidence. 

Campani  saw  two  luminous  belts  across  the  disc  of  Jupiter ; 
but  I  am  unable  to  find  the  date  of  the  observation.  In  the 
Winter  of  1787  and  1788,  and  within  eight  months  of  the  pass- 
age of  Jupiter  through  the  equinoctial  point,  producing  the 
greatest  disturbance,  Schroeter  observed  that  the  equatorial  zone 
belt  had  assumed  a  gray  color  bordering  upon  yellow.  The 
equatorial  belt  was  flanked  on  both  sides  by  dark  belts.  Each 
of  these  on  the  polar  side  were  flanked  by  white  luminous  belts 
resembling  those  described  by  Campani.  These  belts  underwent 
a  number  of  changes  during  an  observation  extending  over  sev- 
eral months.  The  dark  belts  sometimes  suddenly  increased  in 
size.  The  luminous  belts  also  suffered  many  changes,  increasing 
sometimes  suddenly  until  they  were  one-half  times  larger  than 
their  original  size,  then  growing  narrower.  In  1871,  when  the 
last  Jovial  equinox  occurred,  European  observers  saw  not  only 
the  usually  dark  gray  belts  change  to  yellow,  then  to  orange,  but 
for  some  time  even  to  fiery  red.  We  hence  find  that  our  infer- 
ence, that  the  physical  aspects  of  Jupiter  must  show  the  effects 
of  the  perturbation  with  which  our  theory  supposes  he  is  then 
affected,  is  verified  ;  although  no  direct  observations  had  been 
made  to  ascertain  and  establish  that  fact ;  yet  we  consider  the 
verification  more  satisfactory  and  complete  because  the  observa- 
tions were  not  special,  but  if  anything  accidental.  Moreover, 
the  facts  our  investigation  has  elicited,  do  more  than  verify  the 
inference  that  the  effects  of  the  perturbation  must  be  visible  on 
Jupiter  himself,  for  they  incontestably  establish  the  existence  of 
the  perturbations,  and  prove  that  they  occur  at  the  equinoctial 
points  of  the  planet. 

We  have  already  stated  that  we  assumed  the  perihelion  and 
aphelion  points  of  Jupiter's  orbit  to  be  intermediate  between  his 
equinoctial  points.  Astronomy  is  silent  as  to  planetary  equi- 
noxes ;  those  of  the  Earth  excepted.  When  I  was  satisfied  that 
the  equinoxes  of  Jupiter  were  the  causes  of  the  two  marked 
periods  of  disturbances  in  his  year,  I  felt  disappointed  and  dis- 
couraged when  I  found  the  books  silent  on  this  now  to  me  vital 
point,  because  it  was  the  turning  point  either  to  disprove  or  con- 
firm the  projected  theory.  Should  it  confirm  the  theory,  then  it 


(H) 

would  settle  a  momentous  question  in  Meteorology  and  Science  ; 
and  one  that  is  of  inestimable  importance  to  the  destiny  of  the 
Human  Race.  So  I  thought  and  felt,  because  of  my  firm  con- 
victions of  its  truth  and  unshaken  confidence  that  it  would  be 
confirmed  by  the  crucial  test  of  facts.  I  however  did  not  despair. 
Analogy  had  suggested  to  me  the  Jovial  equinoxes  as  the  causes 
of  perturbation.  A  thorough  investigation  had  established  that 
the  facts  exactly  corresponded  with  the  hypothesis  ;  and  when 
the  points  on  the  orbit  that  Jupiter  occupied  at  the  period  of  dis- 
turbance were  determined,  it  was  found  they  were  opposite 
points.  Hence  it  only  remained  to  establish  that  these  were  his 
equinoctial  points. 

The  first  thing  was  to  establish  the  solsticial  points,  upon 
which  the  books  are  equally  as  silent  as  upon  the  equinoctial. 
But  as  telluric  analogy  had  served  my  purposes  well  so  far,  I 
relied  upon  it  to  furnish  me  both  the  solsticial  and  equinoctial 
points.  On  the  Earth's  orbit  I  found  the  perihelion  and  aphelion 
points  closely  coincided  with  the  solsticial  points  ;  and  the  latter 
exactly  coinciding  with  the  points  of  the  Ecliptic  where  the  Sun 
apparently,  but  really  the  Earth,  is  highest  above  or  deepest 
below  the  Equinoctial  Line.  I  hence  inferred  that  this  might  be 
the  case  with  Jupiter ;  and  if  so,  that  the  law  might  be  general. 
But  how  was  this  to  be  ascertained? 

Unquestionably  Jupiter's  solstices  are  at  the  Jovial  Tropics, 
that  is  at  the  points  where  the  Sun  having  made  his  greatest 
ascension  North  or  declension  South  as  se.  n  from  Jupiter,  returns 
towards  the  Jovial  equinoctial.  But  no  works — at  least  none 
accessible  to  me — furnish  any  direct  information  on  this  point. 
The  inclination  of  Jupiter's  orbit  to  the  plane  of  the  Ecliptic  is 
given,  but  not  the  point  towards  which  it  inclines.  There  is 
nothing  hence  to  indicate  the  points  of  the  tropics  of  Jupiter. 
But  by  following  the  suggestion  that  they  would  be  found  where 
the  plane  of  his  orbit  is  highest  above,  or  deepest  below  the  plane 
of  the  Ecliptic,  it  was  inferred  that  the  Jovial  tropics,  and  conse- 
quently solstices,  might  be  approximately  ascertained.  Inquiry 
was  instituted  in  that  direction :  and  it  was  ascertained  that  the 
Tropics  or  solstices  of  Jupiter  were  at  the  points  inferred,  and  that 
they  exactly  coincided  with  his  perihelion  and  aphelion  ;  and  hence 
of  course  his  equinoxes  must  be  90  °  from  either  of  these  points. 


(25) 


When  the  hypothesis  first  suggested  itself  that  Jupiter  was  the 
cause  of  the  physical  disturbances,  such  as  sunspots,  auroras, 
hurricanes,  earthquakes,  etc.,  which,  as  had  been  established, 
had  two  maxima — a  major  and  a  minor — in  the  Jovial  year,  my 
first  impression  was,  that  it  was  owing  to  Jupiter's  position  in 
Space  ;  and  hence  I  deemed  it  of  the  highest  importance  to  fix 
these  positions.  Taking  the  record  of  all  the  phenomena  I  soon 
determined  approximately  the  date  of  their  maxima  at  each 
period.  I  next  calculated  the  positions  of  Jupiter  to  correspond 
with  these  periods.  I  determined  that  one  point  was  on  or  near 
101  °  of  Celestial  Longitude  and  the  other  on  281  °  .  As  these 
were  opposite  points  I  felt  much  elated  and  became  confident  of 
success.  Examining  these  positions  relative  to  Space  to  ascer- 
tain what  might  be  the  mysterious  influence  exerted  upon  Jupi- 
ter at  these  points  of  his  orbit  so  as  to  cause  him  to  perturb  the 
whole  solar  system,  I  found  he  was  at  both  of  these  points  in  the 
plane  of  the  Milky  Way.  I  hence  for  some  time  had  an  hypoth- 
esis, that  the  influence  that  affected  him  came  from  Space,  and 
in  some  incomprehensible  manner  was  exerted  by  the  Milky 
Way. 

But  as  this  hypothesis  was  incapable  of  verification  I  finally 
discarded  it ;  for  since  it  could  not  be  verified,  it  could  neither 
increase  Knowledge  nor  advance  Science.  It  could  lead  to  inter- 
minable and  indefinite  speculations,  but  to  nothing  clear,  definite 
and  tangible.  Hence  after  I  had  adopted  the  equinoctial  theory 
as  more  reasonable  and  probable,  I  always  felt  that  if  the  points 
of  the  Jovial  equinoxes  could  be  determined,  and  if  they  were 
found  to  coincide  with  these  points  in  the  plane  of  the  Milky 
Way,  it  would  be  considered  as  a  demonstration  of  the  theory, 
and  show  that  the  locality  in  the  plane  of  the  Milky  Way  was 
merely  accidental. 

Now  Jupiter's  perihelion  and  corresponding  solstice,  is  in 
Celestial  Longitude  1 1  °  45',  33" ;  consequently,  his  first  equi- 
nox— the  one  that  produces  the  maximum  disturbance — must  be 
90  o  from  the  solstitial  point ;  that  is  L.  1 1  °  ,  45',  33"  plus  90  °  , 
or  L.  101  °  ,  45',  33"  ;  and  his  second  equinox  at  L.  101  °  ,  45', 
33",  plus  180°  ,  or  281  °  ,  45',  33".  It  was  with  inexpressible 
delight  and  gratification,  mingled  with  astonishment,  that  I 
beheld  these  results  coming  out  with  mathematical  precision. 


(26) 

Two  astronomical  points  on  Jupiter's  orbit  had  been  established 
by  a  careful  analysis  and  collation  of  facts,  not  to  subserve  any 
theory,  but  to  test  the  truth  of  every  theory  that  might  be  pro- 
posed. Months,  and  even  years  had  elapsed,  when  a  theory  was 
suggested  based  hypothetically  upon  the  occurrence  of  physical 
events  when  the  planet  passes  two  definite  points  on  its  orbit  in 
Space.  Records  of  facts  and  phenomena  were  collected  and 
compared  with  the  periods  ;  they  were  found  to  correspond  in 
time  and  place  with  the  demands  of  the  theory.  But  this  was 
not  deemed  conclusive,  because  there  was  no  evidence  that  the 
astronomical  condition  existed  at  that  point.  No  facts  were 
known  that  established  the  assumed  astronomical  condition  there 
or  any  where  ;  but  by  a  course  of  deductive  reasoning,  another 
astronomical  point  is  determined,  located  one-fourth  the  immense 
distance  around  Jupiter's  orbit  from  the  point  whose  astronom- 
ical relation  is  to  be  determined.  By  the  aid  of  this  fact  the 
exact  location  of  the  point  in  question  could  be  calculated,  and 
behold  calculation  fixes  it  at  the  exact  points  the  theory  had 
assigned  to  it,  and  where  facts  had  located  and  proven  it  to  be. 
So  astonishing  was  the  result  that  I  could  scarcely  believe  it. 
The  labor  of  years  had  now  been  ciowned  with  success,  and  it 
seemed  to  me  as  though  the  result  had  been  attained  more  by 
divination,  than  by  the  cool  and  dispassionate  deductions  of 
reason. 

Before  proceeding  any  farther,  it  is  necessary  to  remark  that  I 
do  not  claim  astronomical  exactness  for  the  planetary  equinoxes 
as  I  shall  give  them,  nor  do  I  expect  that  they  will  in  all  cases  be 
found  to  be  precisely  as  given.  All  that  I  claim  is  that,  they  are 
approximations  arrived  at  from  general  principles,  the  only  data 
at  my  command.  My  purpose  is  to  prove  that  planetary  equi- 
noxes affect,  and  I  might  say,  determine  the  meteorological  phe- 
nomena of  our  Globe.  I  could  not  succeed  in  my  purpose  unless 
I  knew,  at  least  approximately,  the  points  on  the  orbits  of  the 
several  planets  where  their  equinoxes  occur.  If  with  these  ap- 
proximations I  succeed  in  establishing  this  great  truth,  Astron- 
omy will  see  the  importance  and  necessity  of  determining  the 
exact  points  where  the  equinoxes  occur,  that  their  periods  of 
recurrence  can  be  calculated.  In  Jupiter  the  perihelion  and 
aphelion  points  on  his  orbit,  and  his  solstitial  points  exactly 


coincide,  judging  by  the  plane  of  the  Ecliptic.  Hence  probably 
Jupiter's  equinoxes  as  given  will  be  found  nearly  if  not  quite 
exact.  But  the  perihelia  and  aphelia  points  on  the  orbits  of  all 
planets  may  not  always,  like  those  of  the  Earth,  exactly  coincide 
with  the  solstitial  points.  In  fact,  judging  by  the  paths  of  their 
orbits  as  compared  with  that  of  the  Ecliptic,  the  equinoctial  and 
solstitial  points  in  some  vary  by  a  few  degrees.  Hence  their 
equinoxes  may  vary  a  few  days  in  their  occurrence  from  the  dates 
given  by  me.  In  such  slowly  moving  planets  as  Mars,  Jupiter, 
and  Saturn,  a  few  days  and  even  weeks  will  make  but  little  dif- 
ference, but  with  Venus  and  Mercury,  especially  the  latter,  the 
period  should  be  known  to  a  day.  Of  Vulcan,  the  other  interior 
planet,  too  little  is  known  to  claim  exactness  In  fact, 
so  far  as  my  information  goes,  it  has  only  been  seen  twice. 
Once  by  its  discoverer,  M.  Lescarbault,  March  26th,  1859  5  anc*  by 
myself,  Sept.  25th  or  26th,  1859,  in  its  transit  across  the  Sun,  in 
the  forenoon.  Without  reflection,  I  supposed  it  to  be  Mercury  ; 
but  several  weeks  later,  when  it  occurred  to  me  that  a  transit  of 
Mercury  in  September  was  an  impossibility,  I  could  not  recall 
and  fix  the  exact  date. 

In  1871,  Jupiter  passed  his  ascending  node  on  the  2ist 
of  August.  This  point  is  on  L.  98  ° ,  48',  37",  and 
his  nearest  equinoctial  point,  as  we  have  seen,  is  L.  101  °  ,  45', 
33".  These  two  points  differ  only  2  °  ,  56',  56".  Since  his  daily 
motion  is  4',  59". 3,  therefore  the  difference  between  the  time  of 
his  ascending  node  and  his  equinox  is  thirty-five  days.  Hence 
the  equinox  of  Jupiter  occurred  in  the  year  1871,  on  the  26th  of 
September. 

In  1869  I  determined  to  watch  closely  the  phenomena  of  the 
impending  perturbation  expected  to  attain  its  maximum  in  1871. 
I  hence  opened  a  record  on  which  I  entered  the  date  of  all  phe- 
nomena reported  to  have  occurred  throughout  the  Earth,  from 
the  ist  of  November,  1869,  to  ist  of  November,  1872.  The  ob- 
ject was  general ;  but  special  points  were  kept  in  view.  Amongst 
these  latter  may  be  mentioned  :  (i)  To  ascertain  the  kind  and 
character  of  the  prevailing  phenomena  during  the  period.  (2) 
To  fix  the  maxima  ;  and,  (3)  To  establish  their  corelation. 

Since  the  theory  exacts  that  the  maximum  disturbance  must 
occur  at  or  near  the  Jovial  equinox,  I  will  quote  the  record  for 


(28) 

fifty  days  after  the  happening  of  the  critical  period,  namely, 
September  25th,  1871.  This  is  by  far  the  period  of  greatest  en- 
ergy recorded  during  that  year,  but  the  record  shows  that  during 
the  whole  year  the  phenomena — and  especially  those  at  the 
Venusian  periods  of  which  this  is  one — were  incomparably  more 
energetic  than  at  any  anterior  or  posterior  period  in  the  three  years 
covered  by  the  record.  During  1871  two  other  periods  of  intense 
energy  occurred  ;  namely,  one  in  February  and  March,  owing  to 
the  disturbances  of  the  Venusian*  equinox  of  March  5th,  and 
that  of  the  Terrestrial  of  March  2ist,  being  superimposed  upon 
the  Jovial  which  had  already  acquired  great  energy  as  was  man- 
ifested by  the  frequency  of  earthquakes,  the  increase  of  sunspots, 
the  brilliancy  of  the  auroras,  and  electric  and  magnetic  disturb- 
ances in  the  Earth.  The  other  intense  period  of  disturbance  in 
June  and  July,  was  occasioned  by  the  recurrence  of  a  Venusian 
equinox  on  the  25th  of  June.  An  abstract  of  the  record  showing 
the  phenomena  at  these  critical  periods  will  be  given  at  the 
proper  place. 

I  will  however  remark  that  the  extreme  perturbation  exhibited 
by  the  phenomena  between  the  5th  of  August  and  the  25th  of 
October,  was  not  owing  purely  to  Jovial  influence,  for  within 
this  period  fell  no  less  than  nine  planetary  equinoxes,  namely, 
Mars  on  August  5th,  Mercury  on  September  8th,  Earth  on  Sep- 
tember 2 1  st,  Jupiter  on  September  26th,  Venus  on  October  i5th, 
and  four  Vulcanian  namely,  Aug.  i3th;  Sept.  5th  and  28th, 
and  October  2ist. 

I  will  here  call  attention  to  one  of  the  most  important  facts  of 
these  extraordinary  cyclical  perturbations,  which  would  strike 
us  with  amazement,  if  we  did  not  see  it  to  be  natural.  The  en- 
ergy of  the  equinox  of  any  planet  is  intensified  when  that  of 
another  occurs  at  or  about  the  same  time.  The  reason  of  this 
is  obvious,  because  the  energy  then  manifested  is  the  aggregate 
energy  of  both.  I  have  verified  this  by  calculation — where  I 
had  the  exact  dates — of  phenomena  considered  so  remarkable  as 

*NOTE. — No  apology  is  required  for  coining  this  hew  word,  ist,  because 
it  is  more  intelligible  and  far  more  elegant  than  the  old  adjective  derived 
from  the  Latin  declension  of  the  noun  Venus;  and,  2nd,  because  the  old 
adjective  has  been  so  exclusively  appropriated  as  to  be  inseparable  from  a 
foul  and  loathsome  disease,  so  as  to  render  its  application  to  any- 
thing else  improper  and  impolite. 


to  pass  into  history.  Some  of  these  occurred  six,  seven  and 
eight  centuries  ago,  yet  I  invariably  found  them  to  happen  at 
periods  of  extraordinary  conjunction  of  planetary  equinoxes.  Al- 
though the  excitement  of  a  Jovial  equinox  endures  nearly  three 
years  ;  and  manifests  its  presence  constantly  in  some  inobtrusive 
form,  such  as  electric  and  magnetic  disturbances  in  the  Earth 
and  in  the  Atmosphere,  rapid  and  extreme  oscillations  in  the  bar- 
ometer, heavy  rainfalls,  frequent  auroras,  and  general  seismic 
disturbances,  yet  sporadic  paroxysms  occur  at  a  time  when  these 
phenomena  display  more  than  usual  energy  and  violence.  These 
paroxysms  are  noticed  to  be  intermittent,  and  when  investigated, 
are  ascertained  to  be  brought  about  by  the  superimposition  of  the 
ordinary  excitement  of  some  other  planetary  equinox  upon  the 
general  disturbance  then  prevailing.  For  instance,  a  Vulcanian 
equinox  ordinarily  passes  without  causing  phenomena  so  remark- 
able as  to  attract  attention,  yet  when  it  occurs  from  eight  to  fif- 
teen days  after  a  Venusian  equinox,  the  phenomena  are  often 
terrible.  As  examples,  the  Iowa  Tornado  of  May  22d,  1873, 
and  that  which  destroyed  Tuscumbia,  Alabama,  November  22d, 
1874,  afford  striking  illustrations.  Keeping  these  facts  in  mind, 
we  can  readily  understand  the  violence  of  the  phenomena  in  the 
record  which  we  will  now  quote. 

RECORD. 

Auroras  are  recorded  in  Month  of  August,  1871,  as  follows: 
5th,  9th,  loth,  nth,  i2th,  i3th,  i5th,  i6th,  i7th,  i9th,  2ist,  23d, 
24th,  and  3ist. 

REMARKS. — That  on  the  i6th  was  .very  bright,  and  the  pre- 
vailing color  orange  red.  It  was  synchronous  with  the  great 
sunspot ;  and  that  of  the  2ist,  which  was  deep  red  and  extremely 
brilliant,  was  synchronous  with  the  terrible  cyclone  and  earth- 
quake at  the  Isle  of  St.  Thomas. 

Continuous  sunspots  during  the  month.  From  the  nth  to  the 
25th,  very  numerous  and  immensely  large.  On  the  I7th,  the 
measurement  of  one  was  84,000  miles  in  length,  and  over  27,000 
miles  in  width.  On  the  i8th,  it  measured  78,500  miles  in  length 
by  41,000  miles  in  width  ;  on  the  2ist  it  divided  and  broke  up 
into  groups. 

EARTHQUAKES. — On  the  7th  a  violent  earthquake  in  the  East 


(30) 

Indies.  From  9  A.  M.  the  volcano  Ternate  gave  out  a  dull, 
rumbling  sound,  with  loud  reports  at  intervals,  continuing  through 
the  night  and  all  next  day,  with  streams  of  lava.  The  sky  was 
black  and  the  whole  landscape  darkened  with  smoke.  At  day 
break  on  the  Sth,  the  outburst  of  lava  was  so  great  that  the 
inhabitants  began  to  fly  to  the  neighboring  islands.  The  erup- 
tion of  fire  and  lava  and  stones  continued  twelve  days,  when 
activity  somewhat  abated.  After  a  short  interval  of  comparative 
rest,  another  terrific  explosion  took  place,  which  leveled  many 
buildings  to  their  foundations.  The  whole  island  reeled,  and  the 
damage  to  plantations  and  houses  was  enormous.  Aug.  2oth,  a 
violent  earthquake  accompanied  by  a  loud  rumbling  noise  in  Ja- 
maica. 2ist,  a  severe  earthquake  felt  at  Callao,  Peru,  at  8.30 
A.  M.  Undulations  from  Northwest  to  Southeast.  The  same 
earthquake  was  felt  at  Cero  Azul,  Pisco,  etc.  At  the  time  of  the 
shock  the  sea  was  calm,  but  it  suddenly  became  rough,  and  a 
strong  Southeast  gale  set  in.  A  ship,  200  miles  from  the  coast, 
felt  the  shock  at  the  same  hour.  The  sea  instantly  became  agi- 
tated and  remained  disturbed  for  two  days. 

MAGNETIC  DISTURBANCES. — Aug.  i6th  and  iyth,  violent  mag- 
netic disturbances  observed  in  Cuba  and  at  several  observatories 
in  Europe.  Those  at  the  observatory  at  Havana,  very  violent 
and  remarkable.  2ist,  extraordinary  variations  in  the  magnetic 
needle  observed  at  the  observatory  at  Havana,  Cuba.  24th, 
another  powerful  magnetic  disturbance  observed,  of  several 
hours  duration. 

REMARKS. — By  comparison  of  dates  it  will  be  observed  that 
the  violent  magnetic  disturbances  of  the  i6th  and  i7th  were  syn- 
chronous with  the  large  sunspot,  with  the  brilliant  auroras  of  the 
i6th  and  i7th,  and  with  the  Florida  cyclone  ;  and  those  of  the 
2ist  with  the  breaking  up  of  the  large  sunspots,  the  fiery  aurora, 
the  earthquake  in  Peru,  with  the  terrible  cyclone  and  earth- 
quake at  St.  Thomas.  The  magnetic  disturbances  of  the  24th 
were  synchronous  with  the  continuous  aurora  from  the  iSth,  with 
the  tropical  hurricane  on  its  way  from  St.  Thomas  to  the  coast 
of  Florida  ;  with  the  terrible  typhoon  at  Yokohama,  and  terrific 
tornadoes  in  various  parts  of  the  country. 

The  coincidences  in  time  of  so  many  and  so  different  and  vari- 
ous phenomena,  make  the  inference  unavoidable  that  they  are 


corelated  and  originate  in  one  and  the  same  cause,  which  we 
have  elsewhere  shown  to  be  Electricity. 

CYCLONES,  ETC. — August  i2th  to  i4th,  terrible  rainstorms  in 
the  southern  parts  of  England  and  Wales,  doing  immense  dam- 
age. 1 6th,  a  severe  and  destructive  cyclone  in  the  interior  and 
along  the  coast  of  Florida,  continuing  to  the  i8th,  eleven  and  a 
half  inches  of  water  fell  during  the  time.  2ist,  a  destructive 
water-spout  burst  over  the  village  Ollon,  Switzerland.  2oth,  St. 
Kitts  devastated  by  a  hurricane.  2ist,  the  same  hurricane  swept 
over  St.  Thomas.  Every  house  was  destroyed,  and  the  whole 
place  laid  in  ruins.  At  i  A.  M.  the  gale  was  East ;  shortly  after, 
North-East,  blowing  furiously  at  noon  ;  then  it  veered  to  the 
North,  when  a  terrific  hurricane  fell  upon  the  Island,  shifting  to 
the  North-West ;  it  blew  with  great  violence  to  5  P.  M.,  when  a 
lull  occurred  which  lasted  one  hour,  when  a  terrible  hurricane 
again  broke  out,  this  time  from  the  South,  but  it  did  not  last 
long.  It  was  followed  by  a  terrible  gale  from  the  South-East 
till  long  after  midnight.  The  duration  of  its  greatest  violence 
was  two  hours. 

In  the  afternoon,  during  the  hurricane,  several  severe  shocks 
of  an  earthquake  were  felt,  rendering  the  situation  of  the  people 
more  terrible,  who,  amid  the  crashing  of  the  roofs  overhead  by 
the  hurricane,  felt  at  the  same  time  the  earth  beneath  their  feet 
reeling  from  the  throes  of  an  earthquake.  Upwards  of  150  of 
the  inhabitants  were  killed,  and  upwards  of  6,000  rendered  home- 
less and  totally  destitute. 

On  the  25th  this  same  hurricane  reached  the  Bahama  Isles, 
still  accompanied  by  the  earthquake.  On  reaching  the  coast 
of  Florida,  which  it  did  the  same  day,  it  swung  around  to  the 
North-East,  visiting  successively  Georgia  and  South  Carolina  in 
the  wake  of  the  destructive  hurricane  that  had  passed  along  the 
coast  on  the  2Oth  and  2ist.  24th,  a  destructive  tornado  at  Cris- 
tine,  Ohio,  accompanied  with  hail  and  unprecedented  torrents  of 
tain.  At  Yokohama  a  terrible  typhoon  raged,  swamping  twenty 
vessels  loaded  with  tea,  all  of  which  -was  totally  lost.  The  coal 
sheds  of  the  Pacific  Mail  Company  were  destroyed.  The  ship- 
ping in  all  the  Japanese  ports  sustained  immense  damage.  A 
United  States  store  ship  lost  four  boats  ;  three  seamen  on  board 
were  killed  and  many  wounded.  August  22d,  at  Ihangard, 


(32) 

India,  amid  a  terrible  storm  and  an  unprecedented  downpour  of 
rain,  a  terrific  thunderbolt  fell ;  the  earth  where  it  fell  was  literally 
burst  open,  and  all  the  huts  together  with  their  inmates  were 
swallowed  up  in  the  chasm.  More  than  60  people  perished.* 
3Oth,  tremendous  heavy  rains  in  Pennsylvania,  North  to  New 
York  and  the  New  England  States,  causing  destructive  floods. 

On  my  Journal  I  find  the  following  under  24th  :  "The  cirrus 
clouds  here  are,  this  afternoon,  moving  West,  which  is  contrary 
to  the  wind.  This  I  take  as  an  indication  of  an  unusual  violent 
cyclone  near  or  on  the  east  coast  of  either  Georgia  or  Florida." 
On  the  25th  is  this  memorandum :  "Since  the  2oth  there  has 
been  a  fiery  lurid  haze  covering  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi 
from  the  Gulf  north  to  St.  Paul.  Does  this  indicate  earthquakes 
again  as  it  did  last  June?  On  the  Pacific  coast  a  lurid  haze  is 
considered  as  a  prelude  to  earthquakes."  By  reference  to  the 
records  of  earthquakes  during  the  month,  it  will  be  seen  that 
these  five  days  cover  the  earthquakes,  in  Peru,  South  Pacific 
Ocean,  Jamaica,  and  that  accompanying  the  great  cyclone  from 
St.  Thomas  to  the  Bahamas. 

AURORAS. — September  of  this  year  was  unusually  noted  for 
the  frequency  and  brilliancy  of  its  auroras.  They  are  recorded 
on  the  3d,  very  bright, — 4th,  5th,  6th,  yth,  very  brilliant, — 8th, 
9th,  iSth,  I9th,  bright  and  fiery  red, — 2oth,  25th,  and  3Oth, 
bright  with  orange  streamers. 

REMARKS. — By  reference  to  records  of  this  month  it  will  be 
perceived  that  the  most  remarkable  auroras  were  again  synchro- 
nous with  the  most  remarkable  phenomena  of  the  month : 
namely,  the  very  bright  one  of  the  3d  with  the  earthquake  in 
Jamaica,  the  extremely  brilliant  one  on  the  yth,  with  the  solar 
outburst;  the  bright  and  fiery  red  of  the  I9th,  with  the  earth- 
quake at  Tortola ;  and  the  bright  with  orange  streamers  of  the 
25th  with  the  tornadoes  of  Indiana  and  North  Carolina. 

CYCLONES. — Sept.  3d — A  destructive  typhoon  in  the  Chinese 
Sea.  On  the  same  day  a  terrible  hurricane  was  raging  on  the 
Carribean  Sea.  It  reached  the  coast  of  Florida  and  Georgia  on 
the  5th  and  6th.  5th,  a  terrific  tornado  and  destructive  hail- 

*NoTE. — This  was  one  of  those  mine-like  explosive  earthquakes  that 
sometimes  but  rarely  occur;  not  only  when  a  thunder  shower  is  overhead,, 
but  when  it  is  only  cloudy. 


(33) 

storm  in  the  eastern  part  of  Nebraska.  The  tornado  lifted  and 
carried  away  loaded  cars  from  the  railroad,  and  destroyed  many 
houses.  8th,  another  violent  tornado  visited  the  coast  of  Florida, 
and  on  the  same  day  a  destructive  gale  prevailed  on  Lake  Erie, 
continuing  through  the  9th  and  loth.  The  tropical  hurricane 
moved  down  the  Atlantic  coast  during  the  same  time.  25th,  a 
terrific  hailstorm  at  Purcell  Station,  Indiana,  breaking  the  head- 
lights, smashing  the  window  of  the  cab  and  passenger  cars,  and 
stopping  the  train.  Same  day  a  tremendous  rainstorm  and  tor- 
nado at  Raleigh,  North  Carolina. 

EARTHQUAKES. — Sept.  3d,  an  earthquake  at  Kingston,  Ja- 
maica, while  the  hurricane  raged.  Sept.  6th,  a  tremendous  vol- 
canic eruption  of  Maunaloa,  Sandwich  Islands.  9th,  a  severe 
earthquake  at  Burgundy,  France  ;  many  buildings  were  injured, 
and  stone  fences  leveled  even  with  the  ground.  2oth,  a  telegram 
from  Kingston,  Jamaica,  of  this  date,  says:  "Yesterday  the 
cable  to  St.  Kitts  was  injured  by  an  earthquake,  which  rendered 
7,000  persons  houseless  in  the  island  of  Tortola."  3oth,  severe 
earthquake  at  Bombay. 

SOLAR. — An  extraordinary  solar  outburst  was  observed  by 
Prof.  C.  A.  Young,  at  Dartmouth  College,  New  Hampshire. 

PHENOMENA  OF  OCTOBER. — Auroras  were  observed  on  the 
3d,  4th,  5th,  8th,  9th,  I2th,  I3th,  I5th  and  25th  of  this  month. 

REMARKS. — The  aurora  of  the  4th  was  quite  bright  with  an 
orange  tinge  and  white  streamers.  It  was  synchronous  with  the 
appearance  of  a  seismic  paroxysm  that  first  manifested  itself  in 
South  America,  and  lasted  seven  days,  in  which  time  it  pervaded 
the  whole  world.  Chili,  Arequipa,  Peru  generally,  were  shaken. 
On  the  8th  and  9th,  the  island  of  Mindanao,  East  Indies,  was 
shaken,  and  the  earth  rent  by  an  earthquake.  Constantinople 
and  New  Jersey  were  shaken  on  the  same  day.  Auroras  were 
continuous  during  these  seven  days,  and  seen  every  night  when 
the  sky  was  not  overcast  with  clouds.  That  of  the  9th  was  very 
bright  and  persistent  during  the  whole  night.  That  on  the  night 
of  the  1 2th  was  the  most  brilliant  of  the  month.  I  saw  it  two 
hours  after  sunrise  on  the  I3th,  and  pointed  it  out  to  people  at 
the  railroad  station.  The  streamers  were  very  distinct  and  all 
converged  to  a  point  in  the  magnetic  north,  about  15  °  above  the 
horizon.  The  rays  appeared  exactly  like  those  of  the  Sun  radia- 


(34) 

ted  from  behind  a  cloud  near  sunset.  It  was  synchronous  with 
the  sand  cyclones  of  California  and  Nevada,  the  snow  storm  on 
the  mountains  that  blocked  up  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  the 
violent  hurricane  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  the  tremendous  rainfalls 
that  caused  such  destructive  freshets  in  the  New  England  States. 
It  was  also  the  precursor  of  the  heavy  rain  storm  approaching 
from  the  northwest,  which  reached  St.  Louis  on  the  night  of  the 
1 3th,  and  that  did  so  much  harm,  for  several  days  after,  on  the 
Lakes  and  in  the  valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 

EARTHQUAKES. — On  the  4th  of  October  a  seismic  paroxysm 
manifested  itself  at  Arequipa,  Peru.  It  spread  itself  like  a  wave 
and  in  seven  days  covered  the  whole  world.  It  was  felt  severely 
at  Chiriqui  on  the  4th  and  5th,  and  violently  on  the  5th  at  Iqui- 
qui.  The  towns  of  Rica  and  Matilla  were  totally  destroyed  on 
the  6th.  Many  of  the  adjacent  towns  suffered  severely  in  build- 
ings and  other  property,  and  in  the  loss  of  human  lives.  It  was 
felt  at  sea  by  a  steamer  from  Panama  to  Callao.  On  the  8th, 
severe  shocks  were  felt  at  Constantinople,  and  two  shocks, 
twelve  hours  apart,  were  felt  in  Delaware  and  New  Jersey.  A 
terrific  earthquake  occurred  at  Pollok,  Mindinao,  on  the  8th  and 
9th,  rending  the  earth  and  giving  rise  to  sulphurous  springs. 
i5th,  shocks  of  an  earthquake  felt  in  the  New  England  States. 
It  was  very  strong  at  Concord,  New  Hampshire.  iSth,  an  earth- 
quake felt  at  Augusta,  Maine,  at  4.40?.  M,  ;  it  was  very  strong, 
and  its  duration  from  ten  to  twelve  minutes.  25th,  a  destruc- 
tive earthquake  at  Bajo,  Chili. 

CYCLONES,  ETC. — Oct.  yth  and  8th,  violent  typhoons  raged  at 
Shanghai  and  other  ports  on  the  Chinese  Sea.  The  loss  of  ships 
and  property  destroyed  was  immense.  I2th,  a  terrible  sand 
cyclone  in  California,  between  the  Colorado  and  Mohave  rivers. 
Near  Fort  Tijon,  it  was  estimated  that  nearly  50,000  sheep  were 
destroyed  by  the  sand  storm.  On  the  same  day  sand  storms  also 
occurred  in  Nevada.  Oct.  I2th  and  I3th,  a  violent  snow  storm 
raged  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  where  it  crosses  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  blockading  the  road  for  seven  days  between  Rawlings 
and  Sherman  stations.  At  6  P.  M.  the  heaviest  thunder  shower 
for  years  struck  St.  Louis.  It  continued  all  night,  and  immense 
quantities  of  rain  fell.  I3th,  a  violent  hurricane  occurred  at 
Halifax,  destroying  an  immense  amount  of  property  on  shore, 


(35) 

and  doing  great  damage  to  the  shipping  in  the  harbor.  On  the 
same  day  heavy  rainfalls  in  the  New  England  States,  especially 
in  Maine,  where  they  produced  disastrous  floods.  I4th,  heavy 
gales  on  the  Lakes  ;  many  schooners  wrecked  arid  lives  lost. 
Terrific  gale  and  rainstorm  at  Montreal,  all  day  and  night. 
Many  frame  houses  blown  away ;  the  brick  walls  of  the  gas 
building  blown  down  ;  great  damage  to  property  generally  ;  and 
several  lives  lost.  i6th,  another  destructive  hurricane  at  Halifax. 
This  was  a  continuation  of  the  storm  that  was  passing  over  the 
Continent  from  the  West  for  the  last  four  or  five  days. 

An  examination  of  the  record  of  these  eighty  days,  leaves  no 
doubt  of  the  character  and  species  of  the  phenomena  that  occur 
at  a  physical  disturbance.  Nominally  one  of  these  phenomena 
is  a  variation  in  the  intensity  and  in  the  direction  of  force  of 
telluric  Magnetism  ;  but  really  it  is  a  variation  of  intensity  and 
a  change  of  direction  in  the  electric  currents  circulating  through 
the  Earth,  as  we  show  at  the  proper  place.  The  other  phenom- 
ena are,  sunspots,  auroras,  earthquakes,  cyclones,  and  heavy 
rain-falls.  Whenever  special  observation  is  once  made,  it  will 
be  ascertained,  that  frequent,  sudden,  and  extreme  oscillations  of 
atmospheric  pressure,  is  also  one  of  the  accompanying  phe- 
nomena. 

Since  it  is  a  cardinal  article  in  our  creed,  that  no  hypothesis  is 
legitimate  that  is  not  susceptible  of  verification,  therefore  we 
never  permit  any  such  hypothesis  to  vex  us.  To  be  treated  with  re- 
spect and  attention,  a  hypothesis  must  either  show  in  its  charac- 
ter or  on  its  face,  that  it  can  be  either  verified  or  disproved  by 
facts.  When  a  number  of  facts  seem  to  make  the  hypothesis 
plausible,  or  warrant  us  in  doing  so,  we  elevate  it  to  the  rank  of 
a  theory  ;  but  of  every  theory  we  require  before  its  acceptance  as 
a  truth,  that  it  must  not  only  be  verified  by  all  the  proper  facts, 
but  that  in  turn  it  must  explain  them  ;  yea,  more,  we  exact  of  it 
that  it  must  suggest  facts,  not  known  before,  nor  even  suspected. 

Our  theory,  it  will  be  perceived,  is,  that  planetary  equinoxes 
are  the  causes  of  the  disturbance  to  which  our  Earth  and  its  At- 
mosphere is  periodically  subject.  The  greal  Jovial  Cycle  has 
been  long  known  ;  not  however  as  the  Jovial,  but  as  the  Eleven 
years  Cycle.  It  is  hence  but  a  question  of  fact  whether  or  not 
the  length  of  the  Cycle  corresponds,  as  we  contend,  with  the 


(36) 

Jovial  year.  Facts  alone  must  be  the  arbiters  to  decide  this 
point,  for  they  alone  are  competent,  and  their  decision  must  be 
accepted  as  conclusive  and  final. 

We  have  seen  the  species  and  character  of  the  phenomena  that 
occur  and  prevail  at  the  critical  period  of  the  Cycle.  We  see 
that  some  of  them  are  of  such  an  imposing  character  that  they 
not  only  must  have  attracted,  but  compelled  attention  from  the 
very  Infancy  of  the  Human  Race.  Hence,  in  the  historical 
period,  they  must  have  passed  upon  the  record.  For  the  verifi- 
cation of  the  theory,  therefore,  we  must  appeal  to  history,  to 
hear  what  it  has  to  say  or  knows  about  the  phenomena.  But 
looking  at  their  character,  it  is  obvious  that  not  all  of  the  phe- 
nomena could  be  observed.  Some,  because  they  took  place  in 
the  Sun,  ninety-five  millions  of  miles  away,  and  there  were  no  in- 
struments to  aid  the  natural  eye  ;  and  others  were  unknown,  and  if 
known,  to  observe  them  required  more  facilities,  skill  and  intel- 
ligence than  Man  possessed.  Even  of  those  that  were  so  obvi- 
ous that  they  could  not  escape  observation,  only  a  few,  the  most 
imposing,  would  be  deemed  worthy  a  place  in  the  record.  Of 
course  the  record  is  meagre,  but  it  is  ample  to  satisfy  any  reason- 
able person  that  the  great  Physical  Cycle  has  the  same  length  as 
the  Jovial  year. 

Cyclones  are  amongst  the  most  imposing  of  physical  phenom- 
ena. They  however  do  not  visit  all  parts  of  the  Globe  with  the 
same  frequency,  nor  with  equal  grandeur  and  energy.  In  fact, 
in  some  parts  of  the  World  they  are  not  known  as  phenomena, 
to  be  feared  and  dreaded.  Even  where  they  are  both  frequent 
and  energetic,  each  one  taken  singly  is  confined  within  so  narrow 
limits,  and  its  devastation  restricted  to  such  narrow  strip  of  ter- 
ritory, and,  moreover,  all  traces  of  its  path  being  so  soon  obliter- 
ated by  Man  or  Time,  that  the  old  chroniclers  did  not  deem  them 
worthy  of  a  prominent  place  in  history  ;  and  where  they  men- 
tion them,  generally  the  elate  is  so  indefinite  as  to  be  unavailable 
for  scientific  research.  But  it  is  not  so  with  earthquakes.  They 
raise  and  sink  islands  and  continents  ;  heave  up  the  mountains  ; 
and  from  some  of  them  belch  forth  fire  and  smoke,  and  pour  out 
a  flood  of  fiery  lava  which  overwhelms  cities.  In  fact  wherever 
they  prevail  with  any  degree  of  energy,  they  more  or  less  per- 
manently change  the  physical  aspect  and  outlines  of  shores  and 


(37) 

continents.  Hence  history  at  all  periods  is  crowded  with  their 
record  ;  not  so  precise  as  desirable,  nor  as  exact  as  they  should 
be  when  they  are  to  be  used  for  ascertaining  and  proving  their 
source  in,  and  corelation  to  cosmical  causes  that  supervene  at 
fixed  astronomical  periods.  The  ancient  chroniclers  did  not  re- 
cord them  for  scientific  purpose,  but  as  sensational  on  account  of 
their  astounding  character.  Hence  they  never  mention  the  day 
nor  the  month,  and  are  even  careless  about  the  year.  This  how- 
ever is  not  the  case  with  physical  phenomena  alone,  but  is  equal- 
ly true  of  the  records  of  political  events  :  for  by  a  comparison  of 
dates  given  for  the  same  event  by  different  authors,  either  from 
their  carelessness  or  from  errors  in  transcribing,  there  is  often  a 
difference  of  a  year  or  two,  and  sometimes  even  more.  I  give 
the  dates  as  I  find  them,  and  where  there  are  discrepancies,  I 
give  that  considered  the  best  authority.  I  found  by  examination 
however  that  my  dates,  with  only  one  or  two  exceptions,  corres* 
pond  closely  with  those  of  Hayden's  Dictionary  of  Dates. 

As  the  fullest  record  of  physical  phenomena  is  that  of  earth- 
quakes, so  for  the  purpose  of  verifying  our  theory,  we  will  com- 
pare the  time  of  their  occurrence  with  that  of  the  Jovial  Cycle 
of  1871.  But  before  doing  so,  we  will  remind  the  reader  of  three 
facts  already  stated,  namely,  (i)  The  Jovial  disturbance  by  ac- 
tual observation  has  been  ascertained  to  extend  over  a  period 
nearly,  if  not  quite  three  years.  (2)  That  though,  during  the 
period  of  perturbation  the  incessant  occurrences  of  the  charac- 
teristic phenomena  in  mild  and  modified  forms,  show  a  general 
excitement  of  the  Earth  and  the  Atmosphere,  yet  violent  parox- 
ysms hardly  ever  take  place  from  a  pure  Jovial  cause ;  and,  (3) 
That  the  violent  paroxysms  are  sequences  of  a  Martial,  Venu- 
sian,  Terrestrial  or  Mercurial  equinoctial  disturbance  being  su- 
perimposed on  the  Jovial.  Hence  too,  these  causes  frequently 
accelerate  or  retard  the  maximum  paroxysm.  To  this  fact  I 
will  add  that,  a  Saturnian  disturbance  frequently  prolongs  the 
Jovial  perturbation,  as  well  as  intensifies  those  of  other  planets, 
as  will  be  shown  hereafter.  A  Saturnian  perturbation  once  in 
a  great  while — for  obvious  reasons — during  seven  or  eight  cycles 
of  fifty-nine  years,  will  intensify  at  the  critical  period  every 
fifth  Jovial  disturbance.  This  cycle  has  been  distinctly  noted 
and  determined  by  observers,  and  called  by  them  the  Fifty-nine 


(38) 

Years  Cycle ;  but  they  never  suspected  the  cause,  namely,  that 
five  Jovial  years  are  only  one  hundred  and  ten  days  more,  and 
two  Saturnian  years  only  thirty-three  days  less  than  fifty-nine 
years. 

It  is  hence  perceived,  that  every  second  revolution  of  Saturn 
approaches  or  recedes  143  days  from  every  fifth  of  Jupiter  ;  and 
that  it  will  take  as  many  times  59  years  as  143  is  contained  times 
in  the  length  of  the  Jovial  perturbation — usually  estimated  three 
years — before  the  Fifty-nine  Years  Cycle  will  disappear,  to  re- 
appear after  a  long  interval.  As  all  planets  have  two  equinoxes 
in  their  year,  of  course  there  is  a  double  cycle  of  fifty-nine 
years.  The  minor  cycle  or  approximate  conjunction  of  a  Jovial 
and  Saturnian  equinox  took  place  in  1818,  and  hence  one  will 
occur  in  1877.  A  Saturnian  disturbance  endures  fully  for  six 
years.  After  a  careful  investigation  of  the  facts,  I  feel  warranted 
to  infer  that  approximately  the  equinoctial  disturbance  of  every 
planet  is  felt  for  nearly  one-fourth  of  the  period  of  its  revolu- 
tion around  the  Sun  ;  generally  two-fifths  of  the  time  before,  and 
three-fifths  of  the  time  after  the  occurrence  of  the  equinox  ;  ex- 
cept in  the  case  of  Jupiter  and  of  the  Earth  where  these  propor- 
tions generally  seem  reversed.  The  following  appear  to  be  the 
length  of  each  planet's  perturbation  : 

Vulcan,  -  Not  known. 

Mercury,  -  15  days. 

Venus,  -  56  days. 

Earth,      -  3  months. 

Mars,  -  5  months. 

Jupiter,  -  -  -  -       3  years. 

Saturn,  -  7  years. 

Vulcan's  equinoxes  probably  occur  near  his  nodes,  approxi- 
mately 4°  and  184°.  Judging  from  his  appearance  while  on 
the  disc  of  the  Sun  in  September,  1859,  m's  size  must  be  fully 
equal  to,  if  not  much  greater  than,  that  of  Venus. 

VERIFICATION  OF  THE  CYCLE. 

EARTHQUAKES. — As  already  stated,  earthquakes  are  not  only 
the  earliest  but  almost  exclusively  the  only  phenomena  recorded 
in  primitive  history.  We  hence  avail  ourselves  of  historical 
earthquakes  to  test  the  truth  of  our  theory.  But  in  order  to  show 


(39) 

that  our  sole  object  is  to  ascertain  the  truth,  we  have  taken  the 
lists,  prepared  by  others,  of  remarkable  earthquakes,  and  not  a 
select  list  of  our  own.  We  have  only  added  one  or  two  to  the 
list,  such  as  had  evidently  been  overlooked  by  the  compilers. 

Smith,  in  his  valuable  History  of  Greece,  speaking  of  the 
Lacedemonians,  says :  "In  the  year  B.  C.  464,  their  capital 
(Sparta)  was  visited  by  an  earthquake  which  laid  it  in  ruins, 
and  killed  20,000  of  its  citizens,  besides  a  large  body  of  their 
chosen  youth,  who  were  in  a  building  at  their  gymnasium  exer- 
cises." Other  dates  are  given  for  the  happening  of  this  event, 
as  the  years  465  and  466.  According  to  the  date  given  by  Smith 
— as  only  the  year  is  given — the  earthquake  was  about  synchro- 
nous with  the  great  cyclical  disturbance  of  Jupiter.  From  A.D. 
1871.72,  when  the  last  Jovial  disturbance  occurred,  to  B.  C.  464 
are  2350.72  years;  divided  by  u.86  years,  the  length  of  the 
Jovial  year,  gives  197  revolutions  of  Jupifer,  lacking  seven- 
tenths  of  a  year.  The  Jovial  equinox  hence  occur  in  the  year  B. 
C.  465,  and  the  earthquake  must  have  happened  8  or  10  months 
after  the  equinox.  If  the  earthquake  occurred  as  stated  in  the 
year  465,  then  it  was  synchronous  with  the  equinox  ;  if,  in  the 
year  466  B.  C.,  then  it  happened  before  the  equinox.  All  these 
dates  bring  the  earthquake  within  the  limits  of  a  Jovial  disturb- 
ance. For  convenience  sake  we  will  take  the  year  1871,  discard- 
ing the  fraction,  unless  otherwise  stated,  as  our  standard.  We 
do  so  for  convenience  sake,  and  for  the  reason  that  we  have 
neither  day  nor  month  given  in  the  year  for  the  events  recorded 
in  history.  The  year  B.  C.  425  is  given  for  the  earthquake  that 
made  Eubeca  an  island.  From  our  standard  to  B.C.  425  both 
inclusive,  are  2296  years,  or  193^  Jovial  Cycles,  plus  one  year. 
If  this  event  is  not  apocryphal,  the  earthquake  occurred  some 
ten  or  twelve  months  before  the  minor*  equinox  of  Jupiter. 
Ellice  and  Bula,  two  cities  in  Peloponessus,  were  swallowed  up 
in  the  year  B.  C.  372.  The  time  elapsed  from  the  year  B.  C. 
372  to  our  standard  was  2243  years,  equals  186  Jovial  cycles, 
plus  17  months,  that  is,  the  earthquake  occurred  from  10  to  17 
months  before  the  major  equinox. 


*NOTE. — Half  a  cycle  shows  that  it  was  not  the  major  but  the  minor 
disturbing  equinox  that  occurred.  We  designate  the  equinoxes  accord- 
ingly- 


(4°) 

The  earthquake  at  Rome,  according  to  Livy,  into  whose 
chasm,  armed  and  mounted  on  a  stately  horse,  M.  Curtius  leaped, 
occurred  B.  C.  358.  From  1871.72  to  358  are  2229.72  years, 
equal  1 88  Jovial  Cycles,  plus  about  36  days.  This  earthquake 
hence  was  within  36  days  of  the  major  equinox.  Durcas,  in 
Greece,  and  twelve  cities  in  Campania,  were  engulfed  with  all 
their  inhabitants  by  an  earthquake  in  the  year  B.  C.  345,  or  187 
cycles,  plus  i.i  years  from  1871.  Lysimachia  and  its  inhabi- 
tants was  totally  buried  by  an  earthquake  B.C.  283,  or  from  1871 
the  time  elapsed  was  iSiJ  Jovial  cycles,  plus  17  months,  that  is, 
the  earthquake  occurred  at  the  minor  equinox,  within  seventeen 
months  before  it. 

An  earthquake  destroyed  Ephesus,  and  other  cities  in  Asia 
Minor,  A  D.  17-  The  time  from  1871  to  17  is  1854  years,  or 
156^  cycles,  minus  one  year.  The  earthquake  therefore  occurred 
within  one  year  of  the  minor  equinox. 

In  the  year  A.  D.  79  occurred  that  extraordinary  earthquake 
and  eruption  of  Vesuvius, — up  to  that  time  supposed  to  be  an 
extinct  volcano, — that  overwhelmed  the  cities  of  Herculaneum 
and  Pompeii.  This  is  one  of  the  most  appalling  phenomena 
recorded  in  history.  It  happened  on  the  night  of  the  24th  of 
August,  79,  when  many  of  the  people  were  at  the  theatres. 
From  the  24th  of  August,  A.D.  79,  to  25th  of  September,  1871, 
are  1792.08  years,  equal  to  151  Jovial  Cycles,  plus  1.14  years. 
The  equinox  occurred  October  i4th,  A.D.  So,  or  nearly  14  months 
after  the  earthquake.  It  is  proper  to  remark  here  that  a  Saturn- 
ian  equinox  occurred  only  a  few  weeks  after  the  Jovial  in  the 
year  So.  Hence  the  paroxysm  was  not  only  accelerated  but  in- 
tensified by  the  near  conjunction  of  the  two  equinoxes. 

The  eruption  and  earthquake  are  the  most  terrible  and  appal- 
ing  that  history  furnishes.  The  cities  of  Herculaneum,  Pom- 
peii and  Stabia,  were  overwhelmed  with  lava  and  buried  in 
ashes,  after  having  sustained  a  total  overthrow  by  the  earthquake; 
and  the  surrounding  country  was  deeply  covered  with  scoriae. 
Over  250,000  persons  perished  ;  the  elder  Pliny  lost  his  life,  in 
the  interest  both  of  Science  and  Humanity. 

We  may  as  well  here  consider  all  the  subsequent  seismic  phe- 
nomena of  Vesuvius,  as  they  afford  very  pointed  confirmation  of 
our  theory.  But  before  doing  so,  we  will  point  to  a  historical 


(4') 

fact  that  a  portion  of  Pompeii  was  destroyed  in  A.D.  63,  exactly 
at  the  minor  equinox  of  Jupiter,  that  is  one  and  a  half  cycle 
before  the  great  catastrophe. 

One  of  the  most  destructive  eruptions  of  Vesuvius  occurred  on 
the  24th  of  November,  1759.  Jupiter  passed  his  major  equinox 
in  January,  1759,  and  Saturn  in  November,  coinciding  almost,  if 
not  quite,  with  the  eruption.  Besides  this,  Venus  passed  her 
equinox  October  29,  or  only  26  days  before  the  eruption. 

In  June,  1794 — day  not  given — one  of  the  most  destructive 
eruptions  occurred.  The  lava  flowed  over  5,000  acres  of  vine- 
yards and  cultivated  lands.  The  town  of  Torre  del  Greco  was 
burnt ;  and  the  top  of  the  mountain  fell  in,  so  that  the  crater  is 
now  nearly  two  miles  in  circumference.  In  1794  the  minor 
equinox  of  Jupiter  occurred  in  August,  and  therefore  coincides 
with  the  eruption,  within  two  months.  The  violent  eruption 
of  May,  1855,  occurred  one  year  and  four  months  after  the 
minor  equinox  of  Jupiter,  and  within  22  days  of  a  Venusian 
equinox.  There  were  a  series  of  violent  eruptions  that  com- 
menced in  May,  1858,  and  continued  at  intervals  to  December, 
1861.  Jupiter's  major  equinox  occurred  in  December,  1859,  an(^ 
a  Saturnian  early  in  the  year  1863.  This  was  the  cause  of  the 
prolongation  not  only  of  the  Vesuvian  eruptions,  but  of  violent 
earthquakes  and  electric  disturbances  from  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1858,  till  after  the  minor  equinox  of  Jupiter  in  October, 
1865,  involving  all  parts  of  the  Globe.  From  1858  to  1861  all 
the  phenomena  fell  within  the  disturbed  period — three  years — 
of  Jupiter. 

As  the  phenomena  and  their  relation  to  the  Jovial  equinoxes, 
are  now  before  the  reader,  we  may  as  well  show  their  more  in- 
timate relations  to  those  of  Venus.  We  therefore  give  the  fol- 
lowing facts  as  illustrations  of  how  a  crisis  is  brought  on  during 
the  prevalence  of  a  Jovial  or  Saturnian  perturbation  by  the  su- 
perimposition  of  the  disturbance  occasioned  by  an  equinox  of 
one  of  the  inferior  planets.  The  destructive  eruption  of  1794 
occurred  in  June  ;  an  equinox  of  Venus  took  place  on  the  6th  of 
June  of  that  year.  The  eruption  of  1855  occurred  in  May  and 
June  ;  an  equinox  of  Venus  June  25th.  The  eruptions  of  1858 
in  May  and  June.  Equinoxes  of  Venus  in  1858  are  one  in  April 
and  one  in  July.  The  destructive  eruption  of  1859  occurred  in 


(42) 

June.  An  equinox  of  Venus  occurred  June  26th,  1859. 
1860  our  information  is  vague.  The  record  before  me  only 
says,  "great  destruction  was  caused  by  the  eruptions  in  the 
spring  and  summer  of  1860."  The  spring  equinox  of  Venus  oc- 
curred in  February,  and  the  summer  one  about  the  first  of  June 
in  that  year.  The  violent  eruption  of  December,  1861,  which 
again  destroyed  Torre  del  Greco,  was  synchronous  with  a  Ve- 
nusian  equinox  that  took  place  December  9th.  And  the  erup- 
tion of  1865  was  only  26  days  after  the  Venusian  equinox  of 
January  loth. 

Returning  now  to  our  list  of  earthquakes,  which  we  had  fol- 
lowed up  the  year  A.  D.  79  I  and  found  that  the  engulphing  ot 
Pompeii  and  Herculaneum  occurred  14  months  before  the 
major  equinox  of  Jupiter,  which  did  not  take  place  until  the  fol- 
lowing year,  say  A.  D.  80.86.  The  next  earthquake  on  the  list 
is  indefinite,  which  reads  as  follows  :  Four  cities  in  Asia,  two 
in  Greece,  and  two  in  Galatia  overturned  by  an  earthquake  in 
the  year  A.  D.  107  Two  cycles  of  Jupiter,  namely,  23.7-3 
years  from  the  year  So. 86,  were  completed  2.4  years  before  A. 
D.  107  ;  and  one  cycle  of  Saturn  3.3  years  after  107.  In  all  these 
approximate  periodical  conjunctions  of  Jupiter  and  Saturn,  the 
minimum  of  perturbation  between  the  major  and  minor  equinoxes 
of  Jupiter  is  obliterated,  and  the  perturbation  is  continuous  for 
seven  or  eight  years  ;  and  this  may  account  for  the  happening  of 
this  earthquake  so  remote  from  the  cyclical  period  of  both  plan- 
ets as  not  to  be  referable  to  either. 

In  the  year  115  Antioch  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake. 
This  occurred  one  year  and  five  months  before  a  major  equinox 
of  Jupiter.  Nicomedia,  Caesarea  and  Nicea  were  overturned  by 
earthquake  in  126.  This  occurred  within  two  months  of  a  major 
equinox. 

In  357,  in  Asia,  Pontus  and  Macedonia,  150  cities  were 
partly  destroyed  and  damaged  by  an  earthquake.  This  occurred 
17  months  before  a  minor  equinox. 

Nicodemia  totally  demolished,  and  its  inhabitants  buried  be- 
neath its  ruins,  in  the  year  358.  This  accords  within  a  few 
months  with  a  minor  equinox. 

In  543,  an  earthquake  was  felt  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  The 
year  exactly  coincides  with  a  major  equinox. 


(43) 

In  557,  a  great  many  edifices  destroyed,  and  thousands  per- 
ished by  an  earthquake  at  Constantinople.  This  seems  too  re- 
mote from  either  a  Jovial  or  Saturnian  perturbation  to  be  refer- 
able to  either.  If  it  be  assumed  to  have  occurred  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  year,  it  was  twenty  months  before  a  major  equinox. 

In  Africa,  in  the  year  560,  many  cities  were  overthrown  by  an 
earthquake.  This  occurred  about  five  months  after  a  major 
equinox. 

In  the  year  626,  Antioch,  in  Syria,  was  destroyed  by  an  earth- 
quake. Over  250,000  persons  perished  in  this  calamity.  This 
occurrence  took  place  within  a  few  months  of  a  major  equinox. 

In  the  year  742  an  awful  earthquake  occurred  in  Syria,  Pales- 
tine and  Asia  ;  more  than  500  towns  were  destroyed,  and  the  loss 
of  life  surpassed  all  calculation.  As  this  event  happened  when 
Jupiter  was  about  midway  between  his  equinoctial  points,  it 
cannot  be  referred  to  him  ;  but  as  it  occurred  within  17  months 
of  a  Saturnian  equinox,  it  was  partly  owing  to  a  Saturnian  dis- 
turbance brought  about  as  usually  by  an  equinox  of  either  Mars, 
the  Earth,  or  Venus.  Mercury  may  have  contributed  its  influ- 
ence, which  however  lasts  only  a  few  days  ;  besides,  either  Ura- 
nus or  Neptune  may  have  been  at  their  equinoctial  points,  and 
thus  aided  in  producing  the  convulsion. 

In  the  year  80 1,  all  Europe  was  shaken  by  an  earthquake. 
This  again,  for  the  reasons  above  stated,  is  a  purely  Saturnian 
phenomena ;  it  occurring  18  months  before  his  equinox, 

A  severe  earthquake  was  felt  in  England,  and  throughout 
Europe,  in  1089.  There  are  exactly  66  Jovial  cycles  from  1089 
to  1871-72. 

In  the  year  1114  another  dreadful  earthquake  occurred  at  An- 
tioch. Many  cities  were  destroyed  in  Syria,  among  them  Mari- 
seum  and  Mamistria.  This  earthquake  occurred  one  year  and 
three  months  before  a  major  equinox. 

The  earthquake  of  1137  in  Sicily,  by  which  Catania  was  over- 
turned and  15,000  persons  perished,  occurred  within  two  months 
of  a  major  equinox. 

The  severe  earthquake  in  England  in  1142,  occurred  within  a 
few  months  of  a  minor  equinox. 

The  earthquake  in  Calabria,  in  which  one  of  its  cities  was 
thrown  into,  and  engulfed  by,  the  Adriatic  Sea,  occurred  in 


(44) 

nS6.  This  took  place  over  two  years  after  an  equinox  of  Jupi- 
ter, it  cannot  therefore  be  referred  to  him,  but  it  occurred  with- 
in six  months  of  a  Saturnian  equinox.  As  the  day  and  month 
are  not  given,  we  can  only  give  the  extreme  limits,  namely,  six 
months. 

The  earthquake  in  England,  by  which  Glastonbury  was  de- 
stroyed, occurred  in  1274,  and  was  one  year  and  two  months  an- 
terior to  a  minor  equinox. 

The  severest  earthquake  ever  known  in  England,  occurred  on 
Nov.  1 4th,  1318.  It  took  place  just  one  year  and  three  months 
before  a  minor  equinox. 

In  1456,  an  earthquake  occurred  at  Naples,  in  which  40,000 
persons  perished.  This  earthquake  corresponds  exactly  with  the 
year  of  the  major  equinox. 

The  earthquake  of  February,  1531,  by  which  1400  houses  in 
Lisbon  were  destroyed,  and  30,000  persons  in  that  and  neighbor- 
ing cities  buried,  does  not  coincide  with  either  a  Jovial  or 
Saturnian  cycle,  being  two  and  three-fourths  years  removed  from 
the  first,  and  about  six  years  from  the  last.  A  Venusian  equinox 
occurred  on  the  iSth  of  January  of  that  year,  and  a  Martial  in 
February,  and  they  may  have  caused  it,  but  this  is  a  rare  occur- 
rence. 

On  the  1 9th  of  Sept.,  1538,  Monte  Nuovo,  (New  Mountain,) 
was  raised  by  an  earthquake  near  Pozzuola,  Italy.  This  occurred 
not  quite  a  year  before  the  major  equinox. 

In  1580,  part  of  h-t.  Pauls  and  the  Temple  churches  fell  from 
the  effects  of  an  earthquake.  This  occurred  about  five  or  six 
months  before  a  minor  equinox. 

The  year  1596  is  given  for  a  severe  earthquake  in  Japan,  in 
which  several  cities  were  made  ruins.  This  date  does  nor  cor- 
respond with  a  Jovial  cycle,  but  with  a  Saturnian  one  within 
one  and  a  half  years. 

A  destructive  earthquake  in  Calabria,  in  1638.  If  it  occurred 
in  the  latter  part  of  the  year,  its  occurrence  was  within  about 
eight  months  of  a  minor  equinox. 

On  the  nth  of  June,  1638,  a  new  island  was  thrown  up  by  an 
earthquake  near  St.  Michaels,  Azores.  In  December,  i7I9?  tne 
island  having  disappeared,  arose  again  above  the  surface  of  the 
sea.  This  was  during  a  Jovial  and  Saturnian  disturbance.  On 


(45) 

the  1 3th  of  June,  1811,  it  arose  a  third  time,  but  the  village  of 
St.  Michaels  was  sunk  the  year  before,  as  will  appear  at  the 
proper  place. 

An  earthquake  occurred  in  China,  in  1692,  by  which  300,000 
persons  perished  in  Pekin  alone.  This  earthquake  could  not 
have  occurred  more  than  18  months  after  a  minor  equinox ;  and 
it  may  have  occurred  within  six. 

The  earthquake  by  which  Port  Royal,  Jamaica,  was  sunk  40 
fathoms  beneath  the  sea,  occurred  in  1692.  This  event  took 
place  about  one  year  and  one  month  before  the  major  equinox. 

In  the  year  1693,  an  earthquake  overturned  54  cities  and  towns, 
300  villages  in  Sicily.  Of  Catania,  with  its  18,000  people,  not 
a  vestige  remained  ;  over  100,000  lives  were  lost.  As  the  earth- 
quake occurred  in  September,  we  find  it  occurred  within  36  days 
of  the  major  equinox. 

This  brings  the  record  down  to  the  beginning  of  the  Eighteenth 
Century,  and  we  will  now  take  a  retrospect  to  see  what  the  testi- 
mony of  the  facts  so  far  has  been,  and  judge  whether  they  prove 
or  disprove  the  theory  that  the  length  of  the  Cycle  of  Physical 
Perturbation  corresponds  with  the  Jovial  year  ;  and  that  the  Jovial 
equinoxes  are  the  disturbing  causes.  It  is  admitted  that  the 
major  perturbation,  which  we  have  endeavored  to  identify  with 
the  first  equinox  of  Jupiter  after  he  has  been  to  his  perihelion, 
and  where  he  is  47,000,000  of  miles  nearer  the  Sun  than  at 
aphelion,  far  exceeds  the  energy  of  the  minor  perturbation  after 
passing  aphelion.  The  inference  hence  is  that,  not  only  the 
larger  number  of  phenomena,  but  those  of  greatest  energy,  must 
occur  at  what  we  call  the  period  of  the  major  equinox.  But 
before  we  investigate  this  point,  let  us  take  a  general  survey  of 
the  ground. 

From  the  year  B.  C.  465,  to  A.  D.  1700,  are  2165  years.  Since 
a  Jovial  equinox  occurs  every  5.93  years,  therefore  in  2165  years 
365  such  equinoxes  occur.  Jupiter's  year  is  within  a  small  frac- 
tion of  12  years.  Actual  observation  has  determined  that  ordi- 
narily the  major  perturbation  lasts  about  three  years,  from  its 
first  feeble  manifestations  until  it  disappears  ;  the  minor  is  several 
months  shorter.  We  can  hence  assume  that  in  the  twenty-one 
and  two-thirds  centuries  the  Earth  for  nearly  one-half  the  time, 
say  1,000  years,  was  under  the  Jovial  influence,  leaving  1 165  years 


(46) 

when  no  such  influence  was  perceptible.  We  now  divide  the 
thousand  years  into  365  parts — the  number  of  Jovial  equinoxes 
in  the  twenty-one  and  two-thirds  centuries — and  disseminate  these 
parts  equally  amongst  the  2165  years.  Our  theory  assumes  that 
in  the  2165  years  there  are  365  periodical  disturbances;  and  it 
exacts  that  each  of  these  di-sturbances  shall  fall  upon  one  of  these 
distributed  periods  ;  and  that  unless  each  does  so,  the  theory  falls  to 
the  ground.  In  this  long  period  of  2165  years,  not  more  than  one- 
fifth  of  the  Globe  was  under  observation.  Of  the  hundreds  of 
phenomena  observed,  not  a  tithe  were  deemed  worthy  to  be  re- 
corded. In  fact  only  the  most  extraordinary  and  appalling  ones 
were  deemed  worthy  of  a  place  upon  the  records.  At  the  end 
of  the  period,  a  virtuoso  in  search  of  the  curious  and  marvellous, 
finds  forty-four  of  the  phenomena  that  history  for  21  centuries 
has  collected  and  recorded,  so  extraordinary  that  he  puts  them 
upon  his  "List  of  the  most  dreadful  and  appalling  earthquakes 
in  all  ages." 

Well,  whatever  scientific  value  facts  that  were  discarded  from 
this  list  may  have  possessed,  these  extraordinary  ones  possess  in  a 
more  eminent  degree.  These  latter  we  now  take  up  singly,  and 
compare  their  dates  with  the  fixed  periods  the  theory  assigned 
in  over  twenty-one  hundred  years.  This  certainly  will  severely 
test  the  theory  ;  but  behold  the  result !  Of  the  forty-four,  thirty- 
six  fall  upon  the  periods  fixed  by  the  theory  ;  four  fall  upon  a 
Saturnian  period,  deduced  from  the  assumption  of  the  truth  of 
the  Jovial  period  ;  one  falls  upon  a  period  formed  by  an  acci- 
dental conjunction  of  a  Martial  and  a  Venusian  cycle,  whose 
existence  were  also  inferred  from  the  Jovial  cycle  ;  one  is  the 
joint  product  of  the  Jovial  and  Saturnian  periods  at  an  approxi- 
mate conjunction  ;  and  to  but  two  of  the  phenomena  no  periods 
can  yet  be  assigned  ;  and  there  is  even  a  possibility  that  their 
dates  may  be  erroneous. 

Returning  now  to  the  verification  of  our  two  inferences,  we 
find  upon  review  the  following  facts  ;  Of  the  thirty-six  phenom- 
ena occurring  at  the  Jovial  periods,  twenty-two  occur  at  the 
major  and  but  fourteen  at  the  minor  equinox.  The  inference 
therefore  is  confirmed  that  the  large  portion  of  the  phenomena 
would  occur  at  the  major  equinox.  The  second  inference  is  that 
the  phenomena  occurring  at  the  major  equinox  would  upon 


(47) 

examination  prove  to  have  greater  intensity  and  energy  than 
those  at  the  minor,  is  also  confirmed ;  for  eleven  of  those  that 
occurred  at  the  major  equinox  exhibited  intense  energy,  while 
but  two  of  those  at  the  minor  were  so  characterized. 

So  far  the  facts  seem  to  indicate  that  Saturnian  phenomena 
nearly  uniformly  manifest  extraordinary  energy  and  violence. 

During  the  Eighteenth  and  up  the  present  time  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Century,  the  records  of  earthquakes  are  too  numerous  to 
be  considered  singly,  we  will  therefore  only  select  a  few  of  the 
most  extraordinary  ones  of  modern  times,  and  then  proceed  to 
discuss  another  point  of  the  subject 

In  1731,  more  than  100,000  people  lost  their  lives  by  an  earth- 
quake in  Pekin,  China.  This  was  a  year  and  a  half  after  a 
major  equinox. 

In  1736,  a  year  after  the  minor  equinox,  a  mountain  in  Hun- 
gary was  turned  around  by  an  earthquake.  This  was  one  of 
those  rare  phenomena,  a  rotary  earthquake,  of  which  that  at 
Riobamba  was  an  instance.  Humboldt  says  of  the  Riobamba 
earthquake:  "I  was  shown  a  place  where  the  whole  furniture 
of  one  house  had  been  found  under  the  ruins  of  another:  the 
earth  evidently  had  moved  like  a  fluid  in  streams  or  circular  cur- 
rents, the  direction  of  which  was  first  downwards,  then  horizon- 
tal, and  lastly  upwards."  The  great  earthquakes  of  Lisbon  and 
Calabria,  in  1783,  were  conspicuous  examples  of  these  rotarv 
earthquakes.  In  the  latter,  by  the  whirling  motion  of  the  earth, 
buildings,  without  being  overturned,  were  twisted  in  different 
directions,  parallel  rows  of  trees  were  deflected,  and  in  fields 
producing  two  different  kinds  of  grain,  one  crop  was  made  to 
take  the  place  of  that  occupied  by  another.  This  displacement 
of  lands  gave  rise  to  much  litigation. 

In  1740  a  violent  earthquake  occurred  in  Asia  Minor  and 
Southern  Europe.  At  Palermo  a  convent  fell  into  a  chasm  and 
was  swallowed  up.  This  occurred  the  year  before  the  maior 
equinox. 

Lima  and  Callao,  Peru,  demolished  by  an  earthquake  October 
28th,  1746.  This  occurred  not  quite  five  months  before  a  minor 
equinox. 

Adrianople  nearly  overwhelmed  by  an  earthquake  1752  ;  about 
six  months  before  a  major  equinox. 


(48) 

Grand  Cairo  destroyed  by  an  earthquake.  More  than  half  the 
houses  swallowed  up,  and  18,000  or  20,000  lives  lost.  This 
took  place  in  1754,  the  year  after  the  major  equinox. 

As  there  was  an  approximate  conjunction  of  the  next  Jovial 
equinox  which  took  place  1759.09,  and  a  Saturnian  taking  place 
in  1759.90,  the  usual  prolonged  perturbation  in  such  cases,  about 
eight  years,  took  place,  extending  over  the  intervening  period, 
and  including  the  previous  major  Jovial  equinox,  which  occurred 
in  1753.16.  The  earthquakes  were  unusually  frequent,  and  of 
the  most  violent  character  during  this  period.  In  April,  1755, 
the  city  of  Quito  was  swallowed  up.  On  November  ist,  1755, 
occurred  the  great  earthquake  of  Lisbon.  In  eight  minutes 
nearly  all  the  houses  and  60,000  of  the  inhabitants  were  swal- 
lowed up  ;  whole  streets  were  buried.  The  cities  of  Coimbra, 
Oporta  and  Braga  suffered  dreadfully ;  St.  Ubas  was  totally 
overturned.  A  large  part  of  Malaga  was  in  ruins.  One  half  of 
Fez,  in  Morocco,  was  destroyed,  and  more  than  12,000  Arabs 
perished.  One-half  of  the  island  of  Madeira  was  made  waste  ; 
and  2,000  houses  in  the  island  of  Mytelene  were  overthrown. 
The  shock  was  felt  in  North  and  South  America,  in  Scotland, 
Norway,  and  eastward  into  Asia.  A  Venusian  equinox  occurred 
on  the  very  day  that  this  earthquake  occurred.  In  1759,  at  the 
approximate  conjunction  of  the  equinoxes  of  Jupiter  and  Saturn 
terrible  earthquakes  raged  over  North  and  South  America, 
Southern  Europe,  Syria,  Asia  and  the  East  Indies.  The  city  of 
Balbec,  in  Syria,  was  totally  destroyed. 

On  the  5th  of  February,  1783,  not  quite  four  months  after  the 
minor  equinox,  Messina,  and  other  towns  in  Sicily,  were  over- 
thrown, and  over  40,000  persons  perished  ;  and  in  Iceland,  Jan- 
uary 9th,  1783,  a  whole  river  and  its  valley  was  engulfed  by  an 
earthquake. 

At  the  major  equinox  of  September  29th,  1788,  there  was  a 
general  earthquake  commotion  throughout  the  Globe.  The  most 
noted  was  that  of  September  3Oth,  1789,  just  one  year  after  the 
equinox  in  which  Borgo  di  San  Sepolcro  was  swallowed  up. 

At  the  major  equinox,  August,  1800,  amongst  others,  was  the 
historical  earthquake  at  Constantinople,  which  laid  a  great  portion 
of  the  city  in  ruins,  amongst  them  the  royal  palace.  It  occurred 
on  the  26th  of  September,  just  one  month  after  the  equinox. 


(49) 

In  1804,  another  Saturnian,  and  in  1806,  the  Jovial  minor 
equinox  occurred.  In  1804,  the  most  violent  earthquake  ever 
known  was  felt  in  Holland,  and  on  July  26th,  1805,  at  Frosolone, 
and  at  Naples  6,000  to  8,000  lives  were  lost. 

The  major  equinox  of  May,  1812,  is  memorable  for  its  intense, 
violent  and  general  seismic  convulsions.  About  twenty  months 
before  the  equinox  the  village  of  St.  Michael,  Azores,  was  sunk, 
and  a  lake  of  boiling  water  appeared  in  its  place.  In  March, 
1812,  two  months  before  the  equinox,  the  city  of  Caracas,  (as 
given  at  another  place)  was  destroyed.  But  the  most  memor- 
able of  all  the  attending  earthquakes  of  this  equinox,  was  that 
of  the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  commencing  Dec.  i6th,  1811, 
and  continuing  through  1812  and  1813.  In  this  earthquake  sev- 
eral islands  in  the  Mississippi,  near  New  Madrid,  were  sunk, 
and  the  river  at  one  time  driven  back  eighteen  miles,  overflow- 
ing the  adjacent  country.  Half  of  the  County,  as  well  as  the  vil- 
lage of  New  Madrid,  were  submerged.  Several  new  lakes 
were  formed,  one  sixty  miles  long  and  several  miles  wide.  An 
immense  area  of  forest  was  sunk  below  the  water  level,  forming 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Great  Earthquake  Swamp.  The 
Earth's  surface  rose  in  huge  undulations  like  the  billows  of  the 
sea,  and  with  terrific  detonations,  chasms  yawned  from  which 
vast  columns  of  sand,  mud,  water,  and  a  substance  resembling 
coke,  were  ejected.  The  whole  face  of  the  country  in  that  region 
underwent  a  permanent  physical  change. 

The  minor  equinox  occurred  1818.39;  and  as  Saturn  passes 
an  equinoctial  point  in  every  14^  years,  a  Saturnian  equinox  oc- 
curred early  in  1819.  Earthquakes  were  general  all  over  the 
Globe,  and  many  very  destructive.  The  most  remarkable  one 
occurred  in  June,  1819,  by  which  the  district  of  Kutch  was  sunk, 
and  several  thousand  people  perished.  Geneva,  Palermo,  Rome, 
and  many  cities  in  Southern  Europe  suffered  during  1819;  im- 
mense damage  was  done  to  property,  and  many  lives  were 
lost. 

The  equinox  of  1824.32,  shows  nothing  remarkable;  though 
there  were  frequent  earthquakes  in  all  parts  of  the  world ; 
yet  they  were  of  a  mild  character.  The  great  paroxysm  that 
came  on  in  1810  and  lasted  to  1819,  in  which  two  Jovial  and  one 
Saturnian  equinox  occurred,  seems  to  have  exhausted  the  frame 


(5°) 

of  Nature,  and  there  was  a  period  of  comparative  repose  until 
1829,  a  short  time  before  the  minor  equinox,  which  took  place 
1830.35. 

On  March  zist,  1829,  Mercia  and  numerous  towns  and  villages 
in  Spain,  were  laid  waste,  and  6,000  persons  perished.  This 
was  one  year  before  the  minor  equinox. 

Another  Saturnian  equinox  occurred  in  1834,  and  consequently 
we  have  another  prolonged  seismic  paroxysm  until  after  the 
Jovial  major  equinox  in  1836.18. 

The  following  are  the  most  noted  earthquakes  during  this 
period  : 

No  less  than  forty  shocks  were  experienced  in  Italy  during 
1834.  At  Pontremoli,  Feb.  i4th,  many  houses  were  demolished 
and  many  lives  lost — not  a  chimney  was  left  standing. 

Cozenza  and  many  villages  destroyed  in  Calabria,  and  many 
lives  lost,  April  29th,  1835. 

Rossano  and  other  villages  destroyed,  over  1,000  persons  per- 
ished, Oct.  12,  1836. 

Many  cities  in  Southern  Syria  totally  demolished,  and  thous- 
ands of  lives  lost,  in  December,  1836. 

At  the  minor  equinox  of  1842.11,  we  have:  two-thirds  of  the 
town  of  Cape  Haytien,  St.  Domingo,  destroyed,  and  between 
4,000  and  5,000  lives  lost,  May  7th,  1842. 

Point  a  Pitre,  Gaudaloupe,  utterly  destroyed  on  February  8th, 
1843. 

The  major  equinox  of  1848.04,  was  marked  by  general  seismic 
convulsions  all  over  the  globe,  but  nothing  remarkable  occurred 
until  the  intervention  of  a  Saturnian  equinox  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  year.  Then  a  paroxysm  set  in,  which  lasted  till  after  the 
minor  equinox  of  Jupiter,  December  2Oth,  1853.  Some  of  these 
earthquakes  were  most  violent  and  destructive ;  but  they  are  too 
many  for  record  here. 

In  1859.90,  occurred  a  major  equinox,  preceded  for  nearly  two 
years  by  some  of  the  most  violent  earthquakes  on  record.  Mon- 
temurro,  Calabrai,  and  22,000  people  destroyed  Dec.  i6th,  1857  5 
Corinth,  Feb.  2ist,  1859;  Quito  destroyed  and  1,000  persons 
killed  March  2ist,  1859;  Erzeroum  destroyed,  and  1,000  killed, 
June  2d,  1859;  San  Salvador,  Dec.  Sth,  1859. 

In  1863,  another  Saturnian  equinox  intervened  with  the  usual 


(50 

violent  paroxysms  that  continued  down  till  two  years  after  the 
minor  Jovial  equinox  in  1865.83. 

We  can  only  give  an  abstract  of  the  most  prominent.  Perugia, 
Italy,  laid  waste  1861.  Mendoza,  South  America,  destroyed; 
7,000  lives  lost,  1861.  Corinth,  and  many  other  cities,  Dec.  26, 
1861.  Guatamala,  150  buildings  and  fourteen  churches  des- 
troyed; and  many  lives  lost,  Dec.  19,  1862.  Thirteen  villages 
destroyed  and  many  lives  lost  in  Asia  Minor,  April  22d,  1863. 
Manilla  destroyed,  the  destruction  of  property  immense,  and 
10,000  persons  perished,  June  3d,  1863.  In  Sicily,  Macchia, 
Bendinella,  and  other  villages,  destroyed,  with  great  loss  of  life, 
July  1 8th,  1865.  The  latter  belongs  to  the  Jovial  equinox 
which  occurred  in  November  of  this  year. 

Part  of  the  phenomena  including  earthquakes  of  the  major 
equinox  of  Sept.  25,  1871,  have  already  been  given  in  the  quo- 
tation of  the  general  phenomena  from  Aug.  5,  to  Oct.  25,  1871. 
Others  will  be  given  when  we  make  quotations  for  the  Venusian 
Cycle,  and  therefore  need  not  be  repeated  here. 

The  testimony  of  the  facts  presented,  incontestably  establishes 
these  points  :  that  earthquakes  have  a  periodicity  in  the  frequency 
of  their  occurrence,  and  that  they  show  well-defined  periods  of 
maxima  and  minima,  which  alternate  regularly  as  to  time  with 
each  other.  Examination  of  the  dates  of  their  occurrence  shows 
that  these  maxima  and  minima  are  covariants  with  those  of  other 
physical  disturbances ;  and  moreover  that  the  maxima  are  syn- 
chronous with  Jupiter's  passage  through  his  equinoctial  points ; 
the  minima  in  the  meanwhile  corresponding  in  time  with  his 
passage  through  the  aphelion  or  perihelion  points,  situated  mid- 
way between  the  equinoctial  points.  One  great  point  has,  there- 
fore, been  established  in  Meteorological  Science.  But  incontest- 
ably true  as  it  is,  yet  it  is  not  at  all  times  owing  to  one  and  invar- 
iably to  the  same  cause,  but  oftentimes  is  the  resultant  of  several 
causes  whose  periods  for  the  time  being  accidentally  coinci- 
dent, the  phenomena  become  often  very  complicated,  and  fre- 
quently the  minimum  period  is  entirely  obliterated.  Hence  we 
may  become  bewildered  when  looking  only  in  one  direction  for 
the  cause  of  everything  that  is  taking  place  under  our  observa- 
tion. We  must  remember  that  though  amongst  the  ancients 
Jupiter  was  regarded  as  the  Earth-shaking  deity,  as  well  as  the 


Heaven-shaking  one,  o*r  Thunderer,  yet  we  must  learn  what  our 
facts  teach  us  that  the  modern  Jupiter  cannot  claim  exclusive 
prerogatives  in  either  Heaven  or  Earth,  for  his  more  sluggish 
brother,  Saturn,  once  in  a  while  steps  in  and  does  his  part  of  the 
shaking  and  thundering,  vigorously  keeping  it  up  for  five  or  six 
years,  and  Venus  now,  as  in  ancient  times,  intervenes  to  aggra- 
vate the  already  fiercely  raging  turmoil.  We  have  already  ad- 
verted to  the  fact  that  there  is  an  approximate  conjunction  of  the 
minor  equinox  of  Jupiter  and  one  of  Saturn  in  the  year  1877  ; 
the  former  occurring  in  August,  the  latter  in  December.  We 
are  therefore  on  the  eve  of  a  seismic  period  that  will  last  for  seven 
or  eight  years,  and  which  may  bridge  over  all  the  time  interven- 
ing between  now  and  the  Jovial  equinox  in  the  summer  of  1883. 
It  is  therefore  probable  that  frequent  earthquakes,  many  of 
them  of  great  violence,  will  occur  between  now  and  the  close  of 
the  Jovial  excitement,  some  time  in  1885.  This  we  say  in  the 
interest  of  Science,  and  not  for  the  purpose  of  alarm  ;  for,  if 
Science  is  worth  any  thing,  it  must  enable  us  to  divine  the 
Future  as  well  as  to  explain  and  understand  the  Past  and  the 
Present.  Whatever  the  ignorant  or  weak-minded  may  think, 
and  whatever  effect  the  assertion  may  have  upon  their  feeble 
minds,  there  is  no  cause  for  alarm  whatever.  The  fears  and 
consequent  distress  of  the  good  old  lady  that  the  boiler  would 
explode  while  crossing  on  a  horse  ferry-boat,  were  just  as  rea- 
sonable and  well  grounded  as  the  fears  of  an  earthquake  catas- 
trophe in  our  country.  Such  an  event  is  an  impossibility  here, 
where  the  necessary  conditions  for  its  occurrence  do  not  exist, 
excepting  in  some  portions  of  the  Pacific  States.  Earthquakes 
are  caused  by  disruptive  discharges  of  Electricity  through  the 
strata  of  the  Earth.  Electric  currents,  at  all  times,  are  circulat- 
ing through  the  Earth  from  East  to  West.  In  times  of  physical 
perturbations,  indicated  by  sunspots,  auroras  and  great  oscillations 
in  the  magnetic  needle,  earth  currents,  as  they  are  called,  often 
become  too  intense  to  be  transmitted  through  the  strata  of  the 
Earth,  unless  where  the  strata  are  unbroken  or  of  good  conductive 
capacity.  These  currents  where  the  strata  are  broken  up,  or 
of  too  feeble  conductive  capacity,  become  dammed  up,  as  it 
were,  until  they  are  strong  enough  to  force  a  passage,  which  is 
effected  by  what  is  called  a  disruptive  discharge.  Hence,  often 


(53) 

in  South  America  a  roll  of  subterranean  thunder  is  heard  before 
the  throes  of  the  earthquake  are  felt.  Now  in  the  Mississippi 
Valley  the  strata  are  unbroken.  This  is  conclusive  evidence 
that  they  have  had  the  capacity  to  meet  all  demands  for  trans- 
mission of  Electricity  in  the  Past ;  and  also,  that  they  have  the 
ability  to  do  the  same  in  the  Future.  This  is  the  reason  why  no 
serious  earthquake  has  occurred  in  our  history.  The  same  is 
true  of  England  and  the  northern  portions  of  Europe.  No 
earthquake  conditions  exist  there  adequate  to  produce  those  aw- 
ful convulsions  that  so  frequently  take  place  in  Mexico,  South 
America,  Southern  Europe  and  Asia.  It  is  natural  that  the  ap- 
proach of  an  earthquake  period  should  be  regarded  with  dread 
and  apprehension  in  such  countries  as  Campania,  near  the  base 
of  Vesuvius ;  or  Calabria,  near  the  foot  of  Mount  Etna ;  but  in 
our  own  country  such  fears  are  groundless,  and  therefore  child- 
ish. 

It  is  undeniable  that  a  cycle  of  physical  perturbation  is  always 
marked  not  only  by  frequent  but  by  brilliant  auroras.  If,  upon 
examination,  it  be  found  that  the  period  of  the  occurrence  of  a 
Jovial  equinox  be  similarly  characterized,  and  the  periodicity  of 
the  auroras  to  recur,  and  therefore  to  coincide  with  the  Jovial 
equinox,  the  inference  will  be  unavoidable  that  the  equinox  and 
the  auroras  must  in  some  way  stand  to  each  other  in  the  relation 
of  cause  and  effect.  The  ancients  not  being  so  much  stultified 
by  studying  books,  were  far  closer  observers  of  Nature  and  more 
assiduous  and  successful  students  of  her  mysteries  than  we  are. 
The  Heavens  especially  were  the  object  that  attracted  their  close 
attention,  observation  and  study ;  because  they  believed  that  he 
who  understood  them,  could  read  the  Future  as  understandingly  as 
he  could  the  records  of  the  Past.  Any  extraordinary  appear- 
ance in  the  sky  was  looked  upon  as  a  sign  and  omen  that  fore- 
shadowed an  extraordinary  event  about  to  make  its  appearance. 
They  believed  that  the  destinies  of  every  individual,  from  the 
peasant  in  his  hovel  to  the  prince  upon  his  throne,  as  well  as  of 
dynasties  and  empires,  were  written  by  the  hand  of  Fate  in  the 
Stars.  Hence  it  was  not  possible  for  auroras  to  have  escaped 
their  attention  ;  and  consequently  could  not  have  failed  to  find  a 
record  either  in  their  legends,  poetry  or  chronicles.  Upon  exam- 
ination the  facts  are  found  to  be  as  anticipated. 


(54) 

AURORAS. — In  the  Hindoo  Mahabharata,  Book  I,  Chap.  15, 
(Wilkin's  translation)  a  phenomena  is  described,  in  which  we 
recognise,  notwithstanding  its  oriental  style,  distinctly,  the  cloud 
spout,  the  cyclone,  and  probably  the  aurora  ;  though  the  latter  is 
doubtful,  since  this  phenomenon  is  rarely  seen  within  the 
Tropics.  It  is  said  to  have  occurred  when  the  Suras  and  Asuras 
were  at  war,  supposed  to  be  about  945  B.  C.  We  quote  it  to 
show  how  early  attention  was  drawn  to  Cyclones  so  prevalent 
in  tropical  Asia. 

"They  (the  Suras  and  Asuras)  now  pull  forth  the  serpent's 
head  [that  is  the  incipient  cloud-cone  or  spout  of  a  tornado] 
repeatedly ;  and  as  often  let  it  go,  while  there  issues  from  its 
mouth,  thus  violently  drawn  to  and  fro  from  the  Suras  and 
Asuras,  a  continual- stream  of  fire  and  smoke  and  wind,  which, 
ascending  in  thick  clouds,  replete  with  lightning,  it  began  to 
rain  down  upon  the  heavenly  lands  fatigued  with  their  labor." 

The  reader  will  recognize  in  the  streams  of  fire  and  smoke, 
the  fiery  electric  cone  so  often  witnessed— of  which  instances  are 
given  in  the  fore  part  ot  this  work— in  the  cloud-spot  thrust  down 
upon  the  Earth,  in  tornadoes.  The  reader  will  also  recall  that 
the  Prophet  Elijah  was  caught  up  in  a  whirlwind  of  fire.  Evi- 
dently the  fiery  cloud-spout  of  the  tornado  was  known  to  the 
Hebrews. 

In  Hesiod's  Theogony  there  are  many  passages  which  show 
that  auroras  were  well-known  phenomena  to  the  ancients. 
Amongst  others  occur  these  lines  : 

"Through  the  void  spreads  a  preternatural  glare,  mingling 
fire  with  darkness." 

The  Chinese  records  of  auroras  are  the  earliest  we  have  ;  and 
it  is  sometimes  doubtful  whether  an  aurora  is  meant  or  a  mete- 
oric shower,  we  give  them  as  we  find  them. 

Thus  we  have  a  French  account  which  says  :  "In  the  fiftieth 
year  of  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Kie  or  Li-Koue  (that  is  B.  C. 
1768)  the  Chinese  saw  stars  falling." 

If  this  was  an  aurora,  then  it  occurred  fifteen  months  after  a 
major  equinox  of  Jupiter. 

The  same  account  says*  :    "In  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Le 

*NOTE. — We  quote  from  a  translation  purporting  to  give  the  substance 
of  the  Chinese  Records. 


(55) 

Wang  (B.  C.  687)  the  stars  did  not  appear,  and  meteors  fell 
like  rain."  The  original  statement,  however,  is:  "687  ans 
avantj.  C.  les  etoiles  ne  paroissoient  pas,  il  tomba  une  etoile  en 
forme  de  pluie."  Literally  this  statement  is,  in  the  687th  year 
before  Jesus  Christ,  the  stars  did  not  appear,  there  fell  a  star  in 
the  form  of  rain.  The  laiter  clause  seems  to  indicate  that  it  was 
a  single  bolide  that  exploded  and  fell  like  rain.  The  fragments 
of  a  single  bolide  certainly,  with  no  degree  of  propriety,  could 
be  compared  to  a  shower  of  rain,  and  the  statement  that  the 
stars  had  disappeared,  makes  the  translation,  that  "the  meteors 
fell  like  rain,"  inconsistent.  We  hence  infer  that  the  Chinese 
record,  from  which  the  French  was  taken,  meant  that  there  was 
such  a  brilliant  aurora  as  to  obscure  the  stars,  which  dissolved 
and  fell  like  rain.  If  this  was  an  aurora  then  it  occurred  about 
1 8  months  before  the  major  equinox. 

In  Kaempfer's  History  of  Japan,  published  in  London,  1728, 
occurs  this  statement:  "A.  D.  n — In  the  4Oth  year  of  his  (Syn- 
in's,  Emperor  of  Japan)  reign,  on  a  clear  and  serene  day,  there 
arose  of  a  sudden,  in  China,  a  violent  storm  of  thunder  and 
lightning ;  comets,  fiery  dragons,  and  uncommon  meteors  ap- 
peared in  the  air  ;  and  it  rained  fire  from  Heaven."  This  cer- 
tainly is  not  intended  to  describe  the  phenomena  of  a  single  day, 
but  of  the  period  when  this  sudden  and  violent  storm  of  thunder 
and  lightning,  and  most  probably  accompanied  by  a  tornado, 
arose.  The  fiery  dragons  and  the  rain  of  fire  from  Heaven  un- 
questionably mean  an  aurora  ;  so  most  probably  does  the  expres- 
sion "uncommon  meteors  appeared  in  the  air."  The  inference 
hence  is  almost  inevitable  that  a  physical  perturbation  prevailed 
at  the  period.  A  Jovial  major  equinox  took  place  the  year 
before. 

In  the  Chronicum  Scotorum  it  is  recorded  that  at  the  time  of 
the  battle  of  Seghais,  which  occurred  A.  D.  497,  "red  blood  was 
brought  over  the  lances,"  in  marching  for  a  night  attack.  Proba- 
bly this  was  the  sheen  of  a  fiery  aurora  on  the  lances.  In  the 
legends  of  both  Scotland  and  Ireland,  as  we  will  see  hereafter, 
the  reflection  of  a  red  aurora,  from  the  milk  they  were  drinking, 
the  butter  they  were  eating,  or  of  the  waters  of  rivers  and  lakes, 
these  objects  were  said  to  have  been  turned  into  blood.  From 
the  year  497  to  1871.72  there  are  116  Jovial  years,  lacking  one 


(56) 

year.      The   aurora   hence   occurred   the   year   after   the  major 
equinox. 

In  the  same  Chronicle  where  the  death  by  drowning  of  King 
Muirecrtach  Mac  Erca,  in  A.  D.  531  is  recorded,  occurs  this 
phrase:  '-Blood  reached  girdles  on  the  plain."  This  "lias  been 
interpreted  to  mean  that  the  waters,  reflected  the  light  of  a  fiery 
aurora.  From  531  to  1871. 72  are  1 13  Jovial  revolutions,  lacking 
about  six  months.  These  events  then  occurred  within  six 
months  of  a  Jovial  equinox 

In  Lynch's  Cambrensis  Eversus  are  found  two  records  which 
evidently  allude  to  auroras,  but  as  the  dates  are  not  given  they 
are  unavailable  for  our  purpose.  We  quote  them  to  show  how 
indefinite  and  various  the  fancies  and  consequently  the  descrip- 
tions of  the  chroniclers  were.  We  however  are  at  no  loss  to 
know  what  is  meant  : 

44 A.  C.  561.  Elim  Ollfinachta  succeeded.  He  is  called  Oll- 
finachta  because  snow  that  fell  during  his  reign  looked  like 
wine."  Under  A.  C.  673,  we  have  this  record  :  "  Finachta  suc- 
ceeded his  father  to  the  throne.  During  his  reign  an  enormous 
quantity  of  wine  fell  like  fleeces  of  snow  from  the  sky." 

There  is  no  difficulty  in  apprehending  that  the  wine  that  Io6ked 
like  snow,  meant  the  shivering,  flickering  streamers  of  a  red  au- 
rora, which  often  may  be  compared  to  the  falling  of  red  or 
orange  red  snow. 

In  the  Chronicum  Scotorum,  under  A.  D.  660,  it  is  recorded : 
"  Darkness  at  the  Kalends  of  May,  at  the  ninth  hour,  and  the 
same  summer,  the  sky  was  seen  to  burn."  The  Jovial  major 
equinox  occurred  in  661,  therefore  this  aurora  occurred  the  year 
before. 

In  the  same,  "A.  D.  670,  a  thin  tremulous  cloud  in  form  of  a 
rainbow  appeared  at  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night  of  the  fifth 
day  before  Easter  Sunday,  stretching  from  East  to  West  in  a 
clear  sky ;  [an  auroral  arch]  and  the  moon  was  turned  into 
blood."  This  aurora  was  too  early  by  3.48  years  for  the  major 
and  2.48  years  too  late  for  the  minor  equinox  of  Jupiter ;  that  is, 
Jupiter  was  then  quite  near  the  perihelion,  which  as  far  as  Jupi- 
ter is  concerned,  is  a  period  of  repose. 

Upon  examination,  it  is  found  that  a  Saturnian  equinox  occur- 
red 670.21,  or  within  thirty  days  of  this  aurora. 


(57) 

"A.  D.  680" — Ibd. — "Loch  n  Echnach  was  turned  into  blood." 
The  minor  equinox  of  Jupiter  occurred  in  679.83,  or  within  a 
few  months  of  the  commencement  of  the  year  680,  in  which  the 
aurora  occurred. 

In  the  Anglo  .Qaxon  Chronicles,  A.  D.  685,  it  is  recorded :  "In 
this  year  it  rained  blood  in  Britain,  and  milk  and  butter  were 
turned  into  blood."  In  September,  685,  the  major  equinox  oc- 
curred, and  hence  it  and  the  aurora  coincided. 

For  the  better  understanding  of  the  obscure  annals  we  are 
obliged  to  follow,  written  by  superstitious  men,  with  an  undue 
leaning  towards  the  marvelous,  and  withal  a  strong  inclination 
to  connect  "  the  portends  of  the  sky"  with  political  events  then 
taking  place,  it  is  proper  before  proceeding  further  to  give  the  ex- 
planation given  by  Mr.  G.  Henry  Kinahan,  of  the  Geological 
Survey  of  Ireland,  of  such  expressions  as  we  find  in  these  annals, 
which  explanation  is  quite  satisfactory.  He  says,  "  During  the 
auroras  in  1871,  I  saw  here,  (Ireland)  the  lakes  and  rivers  looked 
as  though  full  of  blood."  That  is  at  the  time  of  the  many  fiery 
red  auroras  of  that  year.  He  suggests  that  the  people  of  olden 
times  probably  had  butter  and  milk  for  supper,  and  eating  with- 
out light,  as  they  did,  the  color  of  the  red  auroras  was  reflected 
in  them,  and  hence  such  expressions  as,  the  butter,  the  milk, 
the  cakes,  the  lochs,  rivers,  etc.,  were  turned  into  blood. 

We  have  followed  the  annals  down  to  685,  where  we  find  it 
recorded  that  it  rained  blood  in  Britain  this  year,  and  butter  was 
turned  into  blood.  Here  a  most  extraordinary  period  of  auroras 
commenced,  and  we  have  continuous  records  of  them  from  685 
down  to  692,  for  a  period  of  seven  years.  As  this  period  pecul- 
iarily  interests  us  from  the  fact  that  it  first  suggested  a  Saturnian 
Cycle,  we  ask  the  indulgence  of  the  reader  for  a  little  deviation. 
Our  first  verification  of  the  Jovial  Cycle  was  by  comparing  the 
auroral  periods  with  it.  Of  the  early  auroras  not  one  failed  in 
falling  upon  a  Jovial  Cycle,  excepting  that  of  670  which  we 
then  laid  aside  for  future  consideration  and  investigation.  But 
here  we  fell  upon  an  unintermittent  period  of  at  least  seven  years 
of  fiery  auroras,  showing  both  continuous  and  intense  perturba- 
tion during  all  that  time.  What  was  the  cause  of  this  perturba- 
tion, we  asked,  and  the  answer  came  back,  k'A  Saturnian  Cy- 
cle ! "  When,  from  the  best  data  we  could  command,  we  had 


(5S) 

determined  the  equinoctial  points  on  Saturn's  orbit,  and  calcu- 
lated the  time  of  his  last  passage  of  one  of  those  points,  finding 
it  to  be  in  1863,  and  then  compared  it  with  the  time  elapsed 
between  the  year  685  and  1863  by  dividing  the  time  by  the  length 
of  the  Saturnian  year,  what  was  our  utter  astonishment  to  find 
that  Saturn  passed  the  identical  point  in  the  year  685.  Hence 
the  perturbation  was  accounted  for,  and  I  considered  the  hypoth- 
esis that  planetary  equinoxes  are  the  cause  of  periodical  physical 
disturbances,  no  longer  a  hypothesis,  nor  a  theory  even,  but  a 
demonstrated  and  verified  truth. 

The  chronicles  record  the  following  phenomena  during  this 
period. 

"A.  D.  686,  fiery  snow  fell  all  night  on  Easter  Monday." 

"A.  D.  687,  great  prodigies  seen  in  the  sky  ;  fiery  dragons  were 
seen,  and  it  rained  blood  all  night." 

"A.  D.  688,  the  moon  turned  into  the  color  of  blood  on  the 
festival  of  St.  Martins.  The  Brut  y  Tywisogion  (the  Chronicle 
of  the  Princes)  corroborates  this  statement  of  the  Scotch  Chron- 
icle, but  in  different  words,  thus,  'A.  D.  688,  it  rained  blood  in 
the  island  of  Britain  and  Ireland/  * 

"A.  D.  689,  (Chron.  Scot.)  at  the  time  of  the  battle  against 
the  son  of  Prida,  bloody  rain  fell  in  Lagenia." 

UA.  D.  690,  (Brut  y  Tywg)  the  milk  and  butter  turned  into 
blood." 

"A.  D.  690  or  691,  after  the  battle  of  the  Leinstermen  with  the 
Ossorymen,  fought  in  King's  County,  Ireland,  in  690  or  691, 
wherein  Foylcher  O'Moyloyer  was  slain,  it  is  said  '  a  shower  of 
blood  fell,  and  blood  flowed  for  three  days  and  three  nights  ;  milk 
and  butter  were  turned  into  the  color  of  blood,  and  a  wolf  was 
heard  to  speak/  " 

There  is  a  discrepancy  in  the  date  of  this  battle.  The  Annals 
of  Cloonmacnoise  say,  A.  D.  688 :  The  Annals  of  the  Four 
Masters  say  it  happened  in  690  ;  another  authority  says  691  ; 
while  the  Annals  of  Tighernach  place  it  in  693. 

"A.  D.  692,  (Brut  y  Tywg)  the  moon  turned  into  a  bloody 
color."  The  minor  equinox  of  Jupiter  occurred  A.  D.  691.66. 
The  auroral  period  in  consequence  of  the  Saturnian  equinox  ex- 
tended over  the  whole  of  the  intervening  time  between  the  major 
and  minor  equinoxes  of  Jupiter,  and  including  them  both. 


(59) 

"A.  D.  714,  (Chron.  Scot.)  it  rained  a  shower  of  honey  upon 
Othan  Bee ;  a  shower  of  silver  upon  Othan  Mor  ;  and  a  shower 
of  blood  upon  the  Foss  of  Laighen."  The  shower  of  honey 
probably  means  an  orange  aurora,  the  shower  of  silver  a  white, 
and  the  shower  of  blood  a  red  one. 

If  these  auroras  happened  in  Autumn,  the  usual  season  of  their 
greatest  prevalence,  then  they  preceded  the  Jovial  equinox  about 
eight  months,  for  it  took  place  715.41. 

"A.  D.  7/|/|,  a  red  crucifix  appeared  in  the  heavens  after  sun- 
set." Ibd.  The  major  equinox  of  Jupiter  took  place  745.08. 
Hence  this  aurora  coincided  very  closely  with  the  equinox  . 

"A.  D.  79^5  this  year  dire  forewarnings  came  over  the  land  of 
the  Northhumbrians,  and  terribly  terrified  the  people ;  these 
were  excessive  whirlwinds  ;  lightning  and  fiery  dragons  were 
seen  to  fly  in  the  air." — Anglo  Saxon  Chronicle.  The  fiery 
dragons  lure  may  have  meant  the  tornado  spout  which  often 
glows  with  electric  light,  and  appears  as  if  on  fire,  and  may  not 
as  usual,  mean  the  shooting  corruscations  in  auroras. 

Here  we  have  electric  explosions,  tornadoes,  etc.,  the  in- 
variable concomitants  of  physical  perturbations.  The  major  equi- 
nox of  Jupiter  occurred  792.5.  These  phenomena  therefore  suc- 
ceed the  equinox  from  eight  to  ten  months. 

"A.  D.  Si  i,  (Scotch  Chronicle)  This  was  a  year  of  prodigies, 
A  column  of  light  was  seen  in  the  heavens  ;  cakes  were  con- 
verted into  blood  ;  and  blood  flowed  when  they  were  cut."  The 
minor  equinox  occurred  in  810.22,  or  about  nine  and  a  half 
months  before  the  commencement  of  the  year  811. 

"A.  D.  829,  In  the  Chronological  History  of  the  Air  and  of  the 
Weather,  published  in  London,  1749,  occurs  this  statement: 
4  An  earthquake  happened  at  Aix  a  few  days  before  Easter,  and  a 
violent  hurricane  for  several  days  together  ;  very  many  trembling 
fiery-like  stars  ran  up  and  down  the  air  ;  great  tempests  of  wind 
followed."  This  was  just  one  year  after  the  major  Jovial  equi- 
nox. 

I  find  in  a  rough  calculation  for  the  equinox  of  Venus — allow 
for  style  and  precession  of  the  equinoxes — that  it  occurred  about 
the  3d  or  4th  of  April,  A.  D.  929.     The  tempests  of  wind  there- 
fore   must    have   happened  within  a  few  days  of  the  Venusian 
equinox. 


(66) 

"A.  D.  850,  a  column  of  light  shot  up  to  heaven  and  remained 
visible  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  place  ^Repton)  for  30  days." — 
Florence  of  Worcester.  Assuming  this  to  have  occurred  in 
Autumn,  when  fully  two-thirds  of  auroras  happen,  then  it  came 
within  ten  or  twelve  months  of  major  equinox,  which  took  place 
in  851.8. 

"A.  D.  890,  (Chron.  Scot.)  the  heavens  appeared  to  be  on  fire 
at  the  Kalends  of  January."  The  minor  equinox  of  Jupiter  oc- 
curred A.  D.  891.45  ;  consequently  the  aurora  preceded  it  by  bet- 
ween sixteen  and  seventeen  months. 

"A.  D.  944,  two  fiery  columns  were  seen  a  week  before  All 
Hallowtide,  which  illuminated  the  whole  world." — Ibidem. 
Jupiter's  major  equinox  occurred  the  next  year,  945.85  ;  therefore 
the  aurora  preceded  the  equinox  just  a  year. 

"A.  D.  979,  that  same  year  was  seen  a  bloody  cloud  often  in 
the  likeness  of  fire.  It  mostly  appeared  at  midnight,  and  so  in 
various  beams  was  colored.  When  it  began  to  dawn,  it  glided 
away." — Anglo  Saxon  Chron.  This  was  an  extraordinary  au- 
rora, or  rather  auroras,  but  since  they  occurred  about  three  years 
and  more  before  the  major  equinox,  and  about  two  and  two- 
thirds  years  after  the  minor  equinox  of  Jupiter ;  therefore  they 
are  not  referable  to  Jupiter.  Calculation  however  shows  that  a 
Saturnian  equinox  occurred  early  in  the  year  979,  and  therefore 
these  auroras  exactly  fit  a  Saturnian  period. 

Florence  of  Worcester's  Chronicle  records  of  the  previous 
year,  978,  the  following  auroral  phenomena  which  appear  almost 
identical  with  those  described  by  the  Anglo  Saxon  Chronicle  as 
happening  in  the  year  979,  namely:  "A.  D.  978,  at  midnight, 
the  1 8th  Kalends  of  May  (April  I4th)  there  was  seen  through- 
out England  a  cloud,  sometimes  of  a  blood  color,  and  sometimes 
fiery.  It  afterwards  broke  up  into  rays  of  different  colors,  and 
disappeared  at  daybreak-"  Gaimer,  in  his  History  of  the  Eng- 
lish, says,  "At  midnight  as  he  [the  murdered  King  Edward] 
lay  in  the  moat,  a  heavenly  light  spread  itself  there.  The  light 
was  bright — no  wonder — ;  it  very  much  resembled  the  Sun. 
This  ray  came  over  his  holy  body ;  the  top  of  it  was  in  heaven." 
As  the  date  corresponds  with  that  of  the  death  of  King  Edward, 
it  is  evident  that  the  year  978  was  an  intense  auroral  year.  But 
the  minor  equinox  of  Jupiter  had  occurred  in  976.35  ;  hence  it 


was  too  remote — over  two  years — to  have  been  the  cause  of  the 
intense  auroral  display  in  978.  But  the  occurrence  of  a  Saturn- 
ian  equinox  in  979  fully  accounts  for  these  auroras  outside  of  the 
Jovial  periods,  and  also  for  their  great  intensities. 

We  have  now  compared  with  the  equinoctial  periods  in  the 
Jovial  Cycle,  the  dates  of  the  occurrences  of  all  auroras  we  have 
found  mentioned  in  Ancient  History  and  Chronicles  prior  to 
the  year  1000  of  our  era.  We  acknowledge  that  the  language 
employed  by  the  earlier  annalists  in  the  period,  is  so  obscure  as  to 
leave  reasonable  room  for  doubting  whether  all  the  records  refer 
to  auroras  or  to  some  other  phenomena.  But  those  of  the  latter 
part  of  the  period  are  so  distinctly  and  unequivocally  stated  as  to 
render  their  identity  incontestable.  Possibly  a  few  may  be  apoc- 
ryphal, but  the  genuineness  of  by  far  the  greater  portion,  is  un- 
questionable. As  with  the  earthquakes,  it  is  surprising  to  see 
each  aurora,  when  examined,  fall  into  line  and  find  its  place  in- 
variably within  the  perturbed  or  equinoctial  periods  of  the  Jovial 
Cycle.  No,  not  invariably  ;  for  there  are  a  few,  a  very  few  ex- 
ceptions. And  what  do  they  do,  disprove  the  theory  ?  No,  they 
confirm  it  by  enlarging  it.  They  prove  that  the  theory  was  only 
wrong  in  assuming  there  was  but  one  cycle,  an  exclusive  one  ; 
and  that  the  principle  supposed  to  be  special  to  Jupiter,  is  gen- 
eral and  belongs  to  all  the  planets.  The  facts  of  more  than  a 
thousand  years  had  been  passed  under  review  before  one  of  the 
exceptional  facts  presented  itself.  It  was  told  to  stand  aside 
for  the  present,  with  the  promise  that  at  the  proper  time  it  should 
have  a  hearing,  when  we  had  leisure  to  listen  to  the  tale  it  had 
to  unfold.  The  facts  of  more  than  another  century  are  passed 
under  review  before  other  phenomena  of  similar  character  pre- 
sented themselves.  These  phenomena  by  the  infrequency  of 
their  recurrence  suggested  a  longer  cycle  than  the  one  under  in- 
vestigation. Naturally  the  longer  period  was  sought  for  in  the 
next  larger  and  outer  planet,  one  of  whose  revolutions  is  equal 
to  two  and  a  half  that  of  Jupiter.  The  suggestion  was,  that 
these  intense  and  exceptional  phenomena  must  be  owing  to 
Saturn,  and  that  he  at  his  equinoxes  must  exert  a  disturbing  in- 
fluence similar  to  that  of  Jupiter.  The  question,  Is  this  so  ?  was 
propounded  to  Nature  ;  and  the  immediate  response  was,  It  is  so. 
The  exceptional  facts  that  had  no  place  in  the  Jovial  Cycle,  now 


(62) 

all  fell  into  line,  and  found  their  proper  places  at  the  equinoctial 
points  of  Saturn.  I  felt,  when  the  revelation  broke  upon  me, 
as  though  my  task  had  been  triumphantly  achieved,  and  that 
henceforth  Man  held  in  his  hands  the  keys  that  unlock  the  mys- 
teries of  one  of  the  great  departments  of  Nature. 

Since  it  is  not  our  purpose  to  give  a  history  of  auroras*,  but 
to  verify  a  Meteorological  cycle  ;  hence  we  will  not,  as  hereto- 
fore, when  the  phenomena  were  so  few,  consider  every  one,  and 
assign  to  it  a  proper  place  in  its  cycle.  We  have  to  pass  over 
time  as  rapidly  as  possible;  because,  since  the  year  1000  the 
records  are  too  crowded  to  do  otherwise.  However,  where  a 
period  of  peculiar  interest  occurs  we  will  give  it  the  special 
attention  it  merits. 

"A.  D.  1052,  a  tower  of  fire  was  seen  on  the  night  of  the  fes- 
tival of  St.  George,  during  the  space  of  five  hours."  The  festi- 
val of  St.  George  is  on  the  23d  of  April.  The  aurora  occurring 
A.  D.  1052.32,  and  the  major  equinox  A.  D.  1053.28.  Hence 
the  events  are  not  quite  a  year  apart. 

Numerous  auroras  are  recorded  in  the  years  1560  to  1564,  the 
major  Jovial  Cycle  was  completed  1563.40. 

Brilliant  and  frequent  auroras  are  recorded  from  1568  to  1575. 
The  Saturnian  Cycle  was  completed  in  1569  and  the  major  Jovial 
in  1575.16. 

Many  brilliant  auroras  are  recorded  as  having  been  seen  in  the 
years  1621,  1622,  and  1623.  The  major  Jovial  equinox  occurred 
A.  D.  1622.46. 

Several  very  brilliant  auroras  are  recorded  as  having  been  seen 
in  the  autumn  of  1633.  The  major  equinox  occurred  in  1634.32, 
or  less  than  six  months  after.  In  170^,  1706  and  1707,  a  num- 
ber of  auroras  are  recorded  ;  the  most  remarkable  is  that  which 
was  seen  in  Ireland,  November,  1707.  A  Jovial  equinox  took 
place  near  the  beginning  of  1706. 

We  now  meet  with  the  most  remarkable  auroral  period  in 
history,  extending  from  1715  to  1720.  The  major  equinox  of 
Jupiter  did  not  occur  until  1717.58.  The  intensity  of  the  period, 


*NOTE  — Those  who  wish  to  pursue  the  investigation  thoroughly  are 
referred  to  Prof  Krone's  '-Nova  et  antiqua  Luminis  fitque  Aurorae  Bore- 
alis  Spectacula,"  published  in  1739;  and  to  M.  de  Mairan's  -'Traite  Phy- 
sique et  Historique  de  1'  Aurora  Boreale,"  published  in  1754. 


its  early  commencement  and  prolongation  to  over  five  years  sug- 
gests the  presence  of  an  additional  cause,  which  is  found  to  be  a 
Saturnian  equinox  occurring  on  January  ist,  1716;  it  conse- 
quently both  precipitated  and  prolonged  the  disturbance. 

The  most  memorable  and  besides  historical  aurora  of  this 
period  occurred  on  February  23,  1716;  the  day  of  the  execution 
of  Lord  Derwentwater,  a  Jacobite,  that  is,  an  adherent  of  James 
Stuart,  sometimes  called  James  III,  who,  by  the  aid  of  France 
and  the  Tories,  made  an  attempt  to  regain  the  throne  of  Eng- 
land in  1715.  From  the  occurrence  of  this  aurora  on  the  day  of 
his  execution,  auroras,  for  a  long  time,  were  known  in  the  North 
of  England  as  "Lord  Derwentwater's  Lights."  It  is  to  this 
aurora  that  the  almanacs  of  the  last  century  refer  as  the  "Great 
and  Amazing  Light  of  the  North,  and  which  continues  to  be 
seen  at  times  ever  since."  On  the  6th  of  March,  1716,  there 
was  another  aurora,  described  in  the  London  Flying  Post,  of 
March  8th,  with  an  explanation  of  it  which  is  about  as  amusing 
and  curious  as  it  well  could  be  made.  After  his  explanation, 
the  writer  proceeds  to  do  what  was  an  easier  task,  namely  to 
show  that  the  aurora  had  nothing  to  do  with  politics.  Speaking 
of  the  Jacobites,  that  is,  the  adherents  of  James  (which  in  Latin 
is  Jacobus),  he  says  .  "Some  ignorant  people, — whose  ideas  on 
such  occasions  are  stronger  than  their  senses, — fancied  they  saw 
armies  engaged,  giants  with  flaming  swords,  fiery  comets,  drag- 
ons and  like  dreadful  figures ;  and  others  fancied  they  heard  the 
report  of  firearms  and  smelt  powder."  *  *  *  "The  disaf- 
fected party  have  worked  this  up  to  a  prodigy,  and  interpreted 
it  to  favor  their  cause,  etc." 

The  last  really  brilliant  aurora  of  this  period  occurred  Feb- 
ruary 21,  1718;  the  maximum,  however,  occurred  in  1716.  It 
is  pertinent  to  remark  here  that  at  one  time  during  this  intense 
perturbation  an  immense  sunspot  was  visible  to  the  naked  eye. 

In  the  report  of  the  Scottish  Meteorological  Society,  it  is  shov\  n 
that  immense  rainfalls  took  place  in  1717  and  1718. 

The  extraordinary  brilliancy  of  the  auroras  of  these  periods 
attracted  general  attention,  and  of  course,  as  is  always  the  case, 
however  ignorant  and  rude  the  people  are,  when  extraordinary 
phenomena  take  place,  hypothesis  are  stated  and  speculations 
are  rife  as  to  the  cause  of  them.  The  only  hypothesis  that  has 


(64) 

attracted  attention  is  that  of  Dr\  Halley,  whose  name  is  perpet- 
uated in  the  comet  whose  periodicity  he  determined.  He  wrote 
and  published  several  articles  in  the  Philosophical  Transactions 
of  17*5  t°  I7I7'  to  Proye  that  auroras  are  magnetic  phenomena. 
Kaemtz,  the  German  Meteorologist,  about  fifty  years  ago,  hit 
the  true  theory  respecting  auroras,  that  is,  that  they  are  both 
magnetic  and  electric.  He  would  have  succeeded  in  explaining 
them  had  he  known  the  dependent  relation  between  Magnetism 
and  Electricity.  As  we  have  traversed  this  whole  subject  in  the 
first  part  of  this  work,  a  repetition  of  it  here  would  be  improper. 
The  auroral  observations  so  far  given  are  those  of  Europe,  where 
the  phenomenon  is  comparatively  rare  as  compared  with  North 
America.  The  only  American  observations  made  during  the 
early  part  of  the  Eighteenth  Century  known  to  us,  are  those  of 
Prof.  Winthrop,  of  Massachusetts,  incomplete,  but  covering 
about  20  years  from  1739  to  1758. 

The  major  equinox  of  Jupiter  occurred  1741.30.  His  record 
runs  as  follows:  September  12,  1739,  extraordinary  aurora. 
January  10,  1741,  many  sunspots  visible  to  the  naked  eye.  In 
January  and  February,  many  auroras  are  recorded.  March  5, 
1741?  an  extraordinary  aurora.  September  27,  1741,  an  intense 
bright  aurora.  Minor  equinox  of  1747.23,  or  late  in  March.  Only 
one  entry  on  his  record  March  I,  1747,  "An  extraordinary  Au- 
rora Borealis." 

For  the  major  equinox  of  1753.16  the  record  is  missing.  For 
the  next  a  joint  Saturnian  and  a  Jovial  period,  his  record  stops 
before  the  occurrence  of  the  Saturnian  in  December,  1759.  The 
Jovial  having  occurred  about  February  ist  of  that  year.  His 
record  is  "August  13,  1757,  an  aurora.  None  for  a  great  while. 
Nov.  12,  1 757'  a  remarkable  aurora.  Sept.  7,  13,  and  14,  1759, 
auroras."  Mayer  observed  a  large  stmspot,  March  15,  1758, 
whose  diameter  was  equal  to  one-twentieth  part  of  the  Sun. 
He  says :  ulngens  macula  in  sole  conspiciebatur,  cujus  diam- 
eter=i-20  diam.  solis." 

We  have  to  pass  over  all  the  intervening  auroras  till  the  extra- 
ordinary one  on  Oct.  23,  1804,  which  attracted  attention  in  both 
the  Old  and  New  World,  and  in  both  the  Northern  and  Southern 
Hemisphere,  by  its  extraordinary  brightness,  which  is  said  in 
its  luminous  effects  to  have  been  equal  to  the  full  moon.  This 


(65) 

was  a  pure  Saturnian  aurora,  since  Jupiter's  equinoxes  occurred 
as  follows:  major,  1800.58;  minor,  1806.51;  while  that  of 
Saturn  occurred  1804.22. 

Assuming  that  we  are  correct  in  assigning  Sept.  25,  1871,  or 
1871.74  for  the  occurrence  of  the  Jovial  major  equinox,  then  the 
equinoxes  that  have  occurred,  and  will  occur  in  the  present  Cent- 
ury, are  as  follows : 

MAJOR.  MINOR. 

1800.58  1806.51 

1812.44  1818-37 

1824.30  1830.23 

1836.16  1842.09 

1848.02  ^SS-QS 

1859.88  1865.81 

1871  74  1877.67 

1883.60  1888.53 

1895  46  1900.39 

The  auroras  of  the  present  century  have  been  too  numerous  to 
be  particularly  mentioned.  The  long  period,  1811  to  1820,  of 
perturbation  was  especially  characterized  by  the  frequency  and 
brilliancy  of  its  auroras.  The  French  meteorologist,  Biot, 
sketched  several  of  these,  and  an  engraving  of  one  of  them,  that 
of  August  1 7th,  1817,  is  still  found  in  books  to  illustrate  auroral 
phenomena. 

The  major  equinox  of  1824.30,  was  notable  for  the  brilliancy, 
I  might  say  appalling  display  of  fiery  auroras.  Though  but  a 
lad,  I  remember  them  well,  and  the  terror  they  inspired — for  I 
shared  in  it — amongst  the  country  people  in  a  mountainous 
region  of  interior  Pennsylvania.  Illiterate  ministers  laid  aside 
the  gospel,  and  made  auroras  their  text,  averring  them  to  be  the 
signs  and  wonders  in  the  heavens  that  foreshadowed  the  ap- 
proaching end.  This  added  to  the  terror,  and  drove  some  people 
into  madness.  These  auroras  continued  unusually  long  after  the 
equinox,  for  even  in  1827  some  notable  ones  occurred.  There 
was  then  a  comparative  repose  till  the  Autumn  of  1829,  six  or 
seven  months  before  the  minor  equinox  of  1830.23,  when  they 
again  appeared  with  great  brilliancy.  Capt.  Ross,  then  on  a 
voyage  of  discovery  in  the  Arctic  Ocean,  speaks  enthusiastically 
of  the  unsurpassable  splendor  of  the  auroras  in  the  polar  regions 
in  the  Autumn  and  Winter  of  that  year.  A  long  and  brilliant 


(66) 

auroral  era  had  now  commenced,  which  continued  down  to  1838. 
The  occurrence  of  the  minor  Jovial  equinox  late  in  March,  1830, 
and  a  Saturnian  one  in  1833,  were  the  causes  not  only  of  the  fre- 
quency and  brilliancy  of  the  auroras,  but  of  the  prolongation  of 
their  term  through  the  major  equinox  of  Jupiter,  occurring  in 
1836.  A  precisely  similar  conjunction  will  exist  in  1877,  and 
therefore  unusual  bright  auroras  will  occur,  probably  commenc- 
ing in  the  Autumn  of  the  present  year,  till  after  the  major  Jovial 
equinox  in  1883. 

On  the  7th  January,  1831,  a  remarkable  aurora  occurred  that 
was  seen  both  in  Europe  and  America.*  Humboldt  says  it  was 
so  bright  that  common  print  could  be  read  by  it.  An  aurora  on 
the  night  of  the  meteoric  shower,  Nov.  12  and  13,  1833,  started 
the  hypothesis  that  auroras  were  caused  by  meteoric  Matter.  The 
brilliant  auroras  of  November  17,  1835,  and  of  April  23d,  1836, 
are  illustrated  by  plates  in  Bradford's  "  Wonders  of  the 
Heavens" 

We  can  only  advert  to  the  brilliant  auroras  of  the  major  equi- 
noxes of  Jupiter,  occurring  in  1848,  1859,  and  1871.  Those  of 
1847  and  1848  were  intensely  bright.  I  have  been  informed  by 
lumbermen  in  the  pineries  that  they  often  filed  their  saws  by 
auroral  light  in  those  years.  The  intensely  bright  aurora  on  the 
night  of  the  solar  outburst,  September  2d,  1859,  was  seen  all 
over  the  Globe,  and  was  accompanied  by  violent  magnetic  dis- 
turbances, observed  in  both  the  Northern  and  the  Southern  Hem- 
isphere. Those  of  1871  have  already  been  partially  given  in  the 
extracts  from  our  phenomenal 'record. 

During  each  of  these  auroral  cycles,  synchronous  with  the 
major  equinox  of  Jupiter,  both  polar  hemispheres  of  the  sky 
were  almost  constantly  luminous  with  auroral  light.  It  was 
during  these  periods  that  it  was  discovered  that  auroras  are  syn- 
chronous in  both  hemispheres  ;  and  that  when  an  aurora  bore- 
alis  illuminated  the  Northern  Hemisphere,  it  was  found,  invari- 
ably, that  an  aurora  australis  illuminated  the  Southern.  The 
skies  of  both  hemispheres  were  filled  with  shivering  billows  and 
glowing  streams  of  light,  shining  with  a  white,  and  sometimes 


*NoTE. — A  drawing  of  this  aurora  was  made  by  Becker.  It  has  been 
engraved,  and  illustrates  Mueller's  "Atlas  Zum  Lehrbuch  der  Kosmis- 
chen  Physik." 


(67) 

with  an  orange  lustre  ;  but  oftentimes  glowing  with  a  fiery  red, 
varying  in  all  the- prismatic  colors  of  the  rainbow 

In  Canada  and  the  Northern  portion  of  the  United  States, 
scarcely  a  week  passes  that  an  aurora  may  not  be  observed ; 
faint  indeed,  but  distinct  enough  to  be  recognized.  They  invari- 
ably precede  and  often  accompany  a  storm  centre  across  the 
Continent.  In  Europe,  however,  they  are  rare  phenomena,  and 
are  never  seen  .excepting  during  a  general  physical  disturbance. 
This  is  the  reason  why  so  few  are  upon  record,  which  however, 
for  scientific  purposes,  is  all  the  better  ;  because  they  hence 
mark  periods  of  extraordinary  physical  perturbation,  which  they 
do  not  in  America  unless  only  the  brilliant  ones  are  taken  into 
consideration.  So  rare  is  the  sight  of  an  aurora  in  Europe,  that 
Prof.  Nichol,  of  Scotland,  gives  it  as  a  curious  fact,  that  most  of 
the  writers  upon  auroras,  including  Dalton  and  Mairan,  never 
saw  one. 

In  the  comparison  of  all  auroras  recorded  within  the  his- 
torical period,  with  the  times  of  the  occurrence  of  the  Jovial 
and  Saturnian  equinoxes,  we  find  they  invariably  coincide 
with  one  or  the  other.  Hence  auroras  as  well  as  earthquakes 
confirm  and  verify  the  theory  that  the  cycles  of  physical  pertur- 
bations coincide  with  planetary  equinoxes  ;  and  hence  that  the 
two  stand  in  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect.  Since  the  test  in 
verifying  the  theory  has  been  to  let  it  stand  or  fall  by  the  agree- 
ment or  non-agreement  of  the  dates  when  the  phenomena  took 
place,  with  the  dates  of  the  occurrence  of  the  equinoxes  of  two 
planets  ;  and  since  it  has  been  ascertained  that  there  is  a  uniform 
correspondence  in  dates  between  them  ;  hence  we  are  obliged 
unavoidably  to  accept  as  a  demonstrated  truth,  that  there  are  two 
great  Meteorological  Cycles,  namely,  a  Jovial  and  a  Saturnian 
one  ;  and  that  in  each  of  these  cycles  there  are  two  points  which 
the  planet  of  the  cycle  cannot  pass  without  producing  physical 
disturbances  accompanied  by  identical  phenomena. 

Sunspots  taken  generally  are  not  visible  to  the  naked  eye,  and 
hence  but  few  instances  of  their  being  observed  are  on  record. 
The  surface  of  the  sun,  however,  is  seldom  if  ever  entirely  free 
from  spots:  resembling  in  this  respect  the  polar  hemispheres  of 
the  Heavens,  which  are  rarely  entirely  free  from  auroras.  When 
however,  our  Earth  and  its  atmosphere  indicate  a  general  and 


(68) 

violent  physical  disturbance,  then  immense  spots  are  also  seen 
upon  the  face  of  the  Sun.  Not  only  the  size,  but  the  number  of 
the  spots  are  then  observed  to  be  increased.  These  we  are  now 
warranted  to  attribute  to  either  Jovial  or  Saturnian  influence. 
But  whatever  obtains  at  a  Jovial  or  at  a  Saturnian  equinox,  must 
also  obtain  at  the  occurrence  of  any  equinox  of  any  of  the  infer- 
ior planets,  for  our  theory  is  not  of  special,  but  of  general  appli- 
cation. The  theory  then  exacts  that  at  the  occurrence  of  an 
equinox  of  any,  and  of  every  one  of  the  planets,  there  must  be 
an  increase  of  sunspots.  That  it  is  so,  at  the  equinoxes  of  the 
Earth  is  beyond  a  doubt ;  and  we  feel  warranted  to  say  the  same 
of  those  of  Venus  ;  since  the  average  cycles  of  increase  deter- 
mined by  observers  of  56  days — half  the  time  between  two  Ve- 
nusian  equinoxes — indicates  that  at  every  second  cycle,  or  1 1 2  days, 
always  such  increase  takes  place.  But  since  112  days — also  a  cy- 
cle determined  by  observers — measure  the  time  from  one  Venusian 
equinox  to  another,  therefore  we  feel  warranted  in  saying  that  a 
Venusian  equinox  effects  an  increase  of  sunspots. 

Observations  no  doubt  will  determine  the  correctness  of  this 
deduction,  but  we  have  no  access  to  any  observations  made,  and 
no  means  of  making  them  ourselves.  If  this  proves  to  be  true, 
then  it  will  be  a  singular  circumstance,  if  the  elements  of  Vul- 
can— which  have  so  far  eluded  all  the  skill  and  ingenuity  of  as- 
tronomers— should  happen  to  be  discovered  and  determined,  by 
his  effect  upon  the  Sun. 

The  earliest  mention  of  sunspots  in  the  chronicles  is  indefinite, 
and  reads  as  follows:  "It  is  said  that  about  the  year  535.  the 
light  of  the  Sun  was  dimmed  for  the  space  of  fourteen  months." 
If  accidental,  it  is  certainly  singular  that  the  chronicler  hit  so 
near  on  a  period  of  great  disturbance,  when  such  an  event  as  he 
describes  was  possible.  His  uncertainty  as  to  the  exact  time 
qualified  by  the  term  "about,"  indicates  that  he  fixed  the  period 
as  near  as  he  could,  and  that  he  referred  to  what  actually  took 
place.  Now,  the  major  [ovial  equinox  occurred  in  the  year 
536-75?  or  a  year  and  three-quaiters  after  the  date  given,  and  a 
Saturnian  in  the  year  537.45,  or  not  quite  two  years  after. 

The  next  record  runs  as  follows :  "In  the  year  626  half  of 
the  disc  of  the  Sun  was  obscured  during  the  whole  Summer." 
A  Saturnian  equinox  occurred  in  January,  627,  and  the  major 


(69) 

Jovial  in  February,  625.  The  time  of  the  sunspotswas  interme- 
diate, or  rather  a  year  and  four  months  after  one,  and  six  months 
before  the  other. 

The  next  mentioned  are  the  observations  of  John  Fabricius,of 
Wittemberg,  made  in  1610,  and  published  in  1611.  Harriot 
began  making  observations  on  8th  December,  1610,  when  large 
spots  were  visible.  Galileo  observed  the  spots  in  January,  1611, 
and  Prof.  Scheiner,  of  Ingolstadt,  about  the  same  time.  Jupi- 
ter's major  equinox  occurred  in  September,  1610. 

In  1769,  within  a  year  of  the  minor  equinox,  the  celebrated 
Alexander  Wilson  observed  the  numerous  sunspots  that  covered 
the  solar  disc  in  that  year,  and  published  his  theory  respecting 
their  cause,  which  was  accepted  for  a  long  while,  but  is  now  gen- 
erally discarded.  The  elder  Herschel  now  undertook  their  ob- 
servation. In  1794  (minor  equinox  year)  he  observed  many; 
and  a  very  remarkable  one  on  January  4th,  1801,  and  only  six 
months  after  the  major  equinox. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into  details  of  special  sunspots.  Ac- 
cording to  our  theory  the  minima  of  sunspots  would  fall,  if  Jup- 
iter were  the  sole  cause  of  them,  exactly  midway  between  a 
major  and  a  minor  equinox,  that  is  2.96  years  before  and  after 
each  equinox.  But  from  the  facts  presented,  it  must  be  evident 
that  Jupiter  is  not  the  sole  cause  of  physical  disturbances  ;  yet 
the  same  facts  make  it  evident  that  he  is  the  controlling  cause  ; 
for  it  is  evident  from  the  facts  presented,  that  occur  what  may, 
Jupiter's  agency  is  never  entirely  obliterated.  Saturn,  at  long 
periods,  intervenes  and  influences  phenomena  both  as  to  time 
and  intensity,  but  never  obliterates  the  Jovial  period.  Mars,  the 
Earth,  Venus  and  Mercury,  at  shorter  intervals,  bring  their  pow- 
er to  bear,  but  it  is  only  to  accellerate  or  retard  the  maxima  or 
minima  of  the  Jovial  Cycle.  We  will  therefore  only  offer  the 
average  maxima  as  we  find  them  in  "  Nature  "  of  Jan.  4th,  1872  : 

AVERAGE  MINIMA.  AVERAGE  MAXIMA. 

Years  1810.5  Years  1816.8 

"       1823.2  "  1829.5 

"       1833-8  «  1837.2 

"      1844.0  •«  1846.6 

"       ^56.2  "  1860.2 

"       1867.2  "  1871.6 

The   reader    must   however   bear    in    mind  that  this  table  is 


made  up  by  individuals  who  supposed  there  was  only  one  per- 
turbation in  a  cycle,  and  that  this  perturbation  had  a  periodicity 
of  ten  or  eleven  years.  Hence  they  give  only  one  maximum  and 
one  minimum  in  the  cycle. 

De  la  Rue  and  Stewart,  from  actual  observation,  give  the  min- 
imum years  as  1833.92,  1843.75,  1856.31,  and  1867.12.  Wolf 
and  Loewy  give  the  same  as  1833.8,  1844.0,  1856.3,  and  1867.2, 
De  la  Rue,  Loewy  and  Stewart  give  the  maxima  years  as  fol- 
lows:  1836.91,  1847.87  and  1859.69.  Wolf  gives  them  as, 
1837.2,  1846.6  and  1860.3. 

It  will  be  seen  by  reference  to  our  table,  that  the  major  equi- 
nox of  Jupiter  corresponding  to  these  maxima  of  sunspots,  oc- 
curred 1836.16,  1848.02,  1859.88,  which,  correspond  very  closely 
to  the  maxima  of  sunspots  according  to  De  la  Rue,  Loewy,  and 
Stewart ;  and  also  within  limits  to  those  of  Wolf 

Of  the  maxima,  as  made  up  prior  to  constant  observation,  not 
very  reliable  however,  two  of  the  maxima  occur  near  the  minor 
equinox,  namely,  1818.37,  and  1830.23.  This  was  owing  to  the 
influence  of  the  Saturnian  equinox  ;  and  it  is  also  perceived  that 
the  nearest  minimum  to  an  equinox  is  that  of  1823.2,  being  only 
one  and  one-tenth  of  a  year  from  the  major  equinox  of  1824.3. 
These,  however,  are  made  up  of  irregular  observations,  and  at 
best  can  only  lay  claim  to  being  considered  as  approximations. 
It  is  due  to  say  of  Schwabe,  of  Dessau,  that  he  was  the  earliest  • 
of  continuous  observers  of  sunspots,  commencing  as  he  did  in 
1826. 

This  must  close  the  testimony  for  showing  that  it  is  inferable 
that  sunspots  have  a  connection  with  the  equinoxes  of  Jupiter, 
since  they  have  their  maxima  when  Jupiter  is  at  his  equinoctial 
points,  and  their  minima  when  he  is  at  or  near  his  solstices. 

We  intended  also  to  have  proven  that  magnetic  maxima  dis- 
turbances have  the  same  relation  to  the  equinoctial,  and  their 
minima  to  the  solsticial  points  of  Jupiter,  as  other  phenomena. 
But  as  we  have,  with  few  exceptions,  only  averages,  the  obser- 
vations, if  adduced,  would  only  be  presumptive  evidence,  and 
not  positive  proof,  that  such  corresponding  relations  exist.  In 
Science  we  must  have  positive  certainty  that  a  thing  is  true,  and 
not  presumptive  probability,  however  strong,  that  it  may  be  so. 

We  have   examined  all  the  averages  as  reduced,  of  magnetic 


observations,  for  a  period  of  forty  years,  and  find  a  uniform  and 
close  correspondence  between  their  periods  and  Jupiter's  posi- 
tions on  his  orbit,  that  is,  their  maxima  with  his  equinoxes,  and 
their  minima  with  his  solstices.  Like  sunspot  observations,  only 
the  greater  maxima  and  the  least  minima  are  kept  in  sight  in 
magnetic  observations  and  in  the  search  for  the  length  of  the 
cycle  ;  and  hence  when  from  the  intervention  of  Saturn,  the 
minor  disturbance  became  the  greater  a-d  was  displaced  by  over  a 
year,  the  length  of  the  next  cycle,  as  indicated,  was  only  a  frac- 
tion over  nine  years,  while  the  preceding  one  had  been  over  thir- 
teen years.  Their  failure  in  finding  the  true  length  of  the  cycle, 
was  from  not  distinctly  recognizing  two  maxima  in  the  cycle 
with  .two  corresponding  minima,  and  keeping  them  separate. 
Hence  when,  from  adventitious  causes,  the  major  was  shorn  of  a 
portion  of  its  wonted  energy,  as  in  1824,  and  the  minor  more 
than  correspondingly  increased,  and  the  maximum  precipitated 
by  one  year,  as  was  the  case  in  1830,  they,  in  mistaking  the  lat- 
ter for  the  former,  committed  so  serious  an  error  as  to  make  the 
attainment  of  their  object  an  impossibility. 

These  averages,  however,  as  far  as  averages  legitimately  can 
prove  any  thing,  bear  strong  corroborating  testimony  to  the  truth 
of  our  theory.  The  following  must  suffice  as  to  these  averages, 
since  it  fairlv  represents  their  uniform  correspondence  with  the 
periods  of  Jupiter.  It  is  a  table  prepared  by  Colonel,  now  Gen- 
eral Sabine,  of  his  reductions  of  magnetic  perturbations  from 
1843  to  1848,  both  inclusive  : 

v  Ratio  No.  of  Ratio  of 

Perturbations  Aggregate  Value. 

1843 • °-6o • 0.52 

1844 0.78 o  78 

1845 0.72 0.65 

1846 1. 2O I.I5 

1847 1.28 1.42 

1848 1 .43 1.52 

By  reference  to  table  of  Jupiter's  equinoxes,  already  given,  it 
is  seen  that  Jupiter's  major  equinox  occurred  about  the  first  of 
January,  1848.  Deducting  from  this  date  half  the  time  between 
the  occurrences  of  his  equinoxes,  and  we  find  that  Jupiter  was 
at  his  perihelion  about  the  first  of  January,  1845.  His  minimum 
three  years  then  were  composed  of  the  years  1844,  1845,  and 
half  of  1843  and  1846,  while  in  the  maximum,  half  of  the  year 


(72) 

1849 — n°t  given — should  be  included.  What  the  observations, 
thus  corrected,  would  show,  is  not  known  ;  most  probably  it 
would  be  still  more  favorable  to  the  theory.  However,  as  it 
stands  it  is  strong  enough. 

Col.  Sabine  remarks  upon  this  table  as  follows  :  "So  general 
a  change  in  the  march  of  all  the  magnetic  elements,  demands  a 
proportionate  cause."  After  pointing  out  the  singular  coinci- 
dences between  the  years  of  magnetic  maxima  and  minima 
perturbations  with  those  of  solar  spots  as  observed  by  Schwabe 
in  these  years,  he  adds ;  "The  coincidence  of  the  maximum  and 
minimum  of  solar  spots  and  those  of  magnetic  perturbation 
demands  a  cosmical  cause  depending  upon  the  Sun."  Very  true  ; 
but  what  does  the  perturbation  of  the  Sun  depend  upon?  And 
why  should  this  perturbation  have  such  a  regular  periodicity? 
It  is  evident  that  no  regular  periodicity  were  possible,  unless 
there  was  a  fixed  cause  for  it  in  the  solar  system.  The  physical 
agent  that  effects  this  perturbation  is  unquestionably  Electricity  ; 
and  hence  the  cause  must  be  such  as  developes  an  unusual  amount 
of  Electricity  in  the  Sun  at  these  periods.  We  have  shown  that 
planetary  equinoxes, — when  the  solar  magnetic  pole  to  which 
the  planet  is  then  more  exposed  than  on  any  other  part  of  its 
orbit,  has  the  effect  of  a  moving  magnet  upon  the  latter — ;  and 
the  greatest  angle  that  the  plane  of  its  rotation  then  makes  with 
that  of  the  Sun  are,  amongst  others  that  might  be  named,  suffi- 
cient causes  for  the  development  of  an  unusual  amount  of  Elec- 
tricity in  both  Sun  and  planet. 

Observation  upon  all  general  physical  phenomena,  Telluric, 
atmospheric  and  solar,  have  unquestionably  established  that 
they  are  coetaneous  with  each  other  in  their  appearance  ;  coex- 
tended  in  their  duration,  and  covariant  in  their  energies ;  and, 
moreover,  that  they  are  inseparable,  for  they  never  appear  singly. 
It  is  hence  evident  that  they  either  mutually  cause  each  other,  or 
that  they  depend  upon  and  are  effects  of  an  occult  and  unknown 
cause.  A  moment's  reflection  is  sufficient  to  convince  us  that 
they  cannot  cause  each  other,  for  that  implies  that  an  effect  can 
interchange  places  and  functions  with  its  cause,  which  is  absurd. 
We  know,  from  direct  observation,  that  a  solar  explosion  throw- 
ing up  to  a  great  height  immense  jets  of  whit  is  supposed  to  be 
incandescent  hydrogen  gas ;  and  that  even  the  sudden  appear- 


(73) 

ance  or  sudden  disintegration  of  large  sunspots  instantly  sends 
an  electric  thrill  through  the  whole  Globe,  and  sets  its  polar  skies 
ablaze  with  the  fiery  aurora.  Instances  have  been  observed  and 
are  recorded,  where,  at  the  moment,  or  in  a  few  seconds  after 
the  occurrence  of  solar  phenomena  like  these,  electric  currents 
have  been  observed  and  felt  in  all  parts  of  the  World  and  at  an- 
tipodean points  ;  and  at  night  while  the  electric  disturbance  con- 
tinued, the  skies  of  each  polar  hemisphere  were  illuminated  with 
unusually  brilliant  auroras.  Now,  although  we  may  say,  and 
say  truly  in  a  restricted  sense,  that  the  solar  perturbation  is  the 
cause  of  the  electric  perturbation  of  the  Earth  in  such  cases, 
yet  evidently  it  is  only  a  secondary  and  not  a  primary  cause. 
The  telluric  effect  also  undoubtedly  reacts  upon  its  cause  in  the 
Sun,  and  intensifies  it,  but  in  no  sense  can  it  be  said  to  cause  it. 
The  solar  phenomenon  is  therefore  an  effect  of  an  unknown 
cause,  and  of  a  cause  that  is  not  inside,  but  outside  of  the  Sun. 
Though  we  are  hence  compelled  to  look  for  the  location  of  the 
disturbing  cause  outside  of  the  Sun,  yet  reason  restricts  us  to 
and  within  the  Solar  system. 

Now  it  were  an  easy  task  to  discover  and  locate  this  cause,  if 
it  were  the  sole  cause.  But  the  complexity  of  solar  phenomena 
shows  the  cooperation  of  minor  at  least,  if  not  some  major  causes. 
Taking  sunspots  for  instance.  At  times  the  whole  cycle  of 
nearly  twelve  years  duration  is  broken  up  into  short  periods 
with  well  defined  intervals  between^  of  either  no  sunspots,  or  of 
comparatively  few.  Sometimes  these  short  periods  coalesce  and 
form  longer  ones.  At  other  times  the  well  defined  minor  periods 
are  obliterated  and  the  spots  about  equally  distributed  over  the 
whole  interval  between  the  two  permanently  fixed  disturbances 
regularly  recurring  in  the  Great  Cycle  ;  and  again  at  other  times 
the  two  disturbances  with  corresponding  minima  between,  are 
alone  distinctly  cognizable  in  the  Cycle.  These  facts  are  inexplic- 
able upon  any  other  hypothesis  than  that  there  is  not  a  sole  cause 
but  several  cooperating  causes  concerned  in  the  evolution  of 
solar  phenomena,  and  hence  that  the  cause  is  not  simple  but  com- 
pound, and  oftentimes  complex".  One  cause  however  is  of  such 
overwhelming  energy  that,  though  often  modified  and  obscured, 
it  is  never  obliterated,  but  can  under  all  circumstances  be  dis- 
tinctly traced  in  all  these  otherwise  varied  changes.  It  hence 


(74) 

follows  that  that  cause,  if  any,  is  the  one  that  is  ascertainable ; 
and  that  we  must  look  to  it  for  the  solution  of  the  mystery  of 
physical  disturbances ;  for  though  not  the  sole  cause,  it  yet  is  the 
controlling  one. 

Logically  we  have  shown  that  the  cause  of  solar  perturbation 
cannot  be  located  in  the  Sun,  but  outside  of  it;  and  though 
outside  of  the  Sun,  yet  inside  of  the  Solar  System.  This  cause 
however  is  not  simple  but  complex  ;  and  in  its  component  elements 
we  have  found  one  of  such  great  energy  that  it  is  the  controlling 
cause.  If  it  be  the  controlling  cause,  then  it  is  so  by  virtue  of 
its  greater  energy ;  in  other  words,  it  is  the  greatest  of  the  com- 
ponent causes.  In  our  search  for  causes  we  are  restricted  to  and 
within  the  limits  of  the  Solar  System,  hence  where  can  we  locate 
the  greatest  cause,  outside  the  Sun  in  the  Solar  System,  except 
in  the  largest  planet  of  that  system  ?  Led  by  the  inductions  of 
Reason,  we  arrive  again,  but  by  a  different  route,  at  the  planet  of 
Jupiter  as  the  seat  of  the  greatest  possible  disturbance  in  the 
Solar  System  outside  of  the  Sun. 

One  immense  step  towards  success  was  attained  when  the 
great  physical  disturbing  cause  was  definitely  located  in  Jupiter. 
But  the  facts  observed  made  it  evident  that  the  perturbation  was 
intermittent ;  hence  the  question  at  once  arose,  Why  is  the  in- 
fluence exerted  by  Jupiter  upon  the  Solar  System  intermittent? 
An  examination  of  the  observed  facts  clearly  indicated  that  the 
great  maximum  disturbance  by  which  the  Cycle  was  first  recog- 
nized, is  not  the  only  one  in  it,  but  that  there  is  another  well  de- 
fined period  of  minor  disturbance  which  divides  the  Cycle  into 
two  equal  parts.  Since  the  length  of  the  Cycle  corresponds 
with  that  of  the  Jovial  year,  hence  each  perturbation  marks  half 
of  that  year. 

Another  important  advance  had  therefore  been  made ;  and 
now  reasoning  from  analogous  facts  furnished  by  the  Earth,  we 
are  led  inductively  to  fix  upon  the  Jovial  equinoxes  as  the  peri- 
odically disturbing  causes  of  the  Sun  and  the  Solar  System. 
The  next  step  now  is  to  fix  the  equinoctial  points  on  Jupiter's  or- 
bit ;  and  then  to  ascertain  when  he  was  last  at  either  point.  This 
done,  it  is  easy  to  calculate  when  he  was  at  either  equinox  in  all 
Time  that  is  past,  or  when  he  will  be  at  all  Time  to  come.  The 
final  step  can  now  be  taken,  namely,  to  verify  that  physical 


(75) 

events  correspond  in  the  time  of  their  occurrence  with  the  dates 
of  Jupiter's  equinoxes.  A  comparison  of  the  dates  of  every  va- 
riety of  physical  phenomena  with  those  of  Jupiter's  equinoxes^ 
must  at  least  astonish,  if  it  does  not  convince  the  most  incredu- 
lous of  the  truth  of  our  theory  by  their  uniform  and  almost  in- 
variable correspondence  in  dates.  We  leave  the  matter  here  for 
the  calm  and  deliberate  judgment  of  the  reader  whether  we  have 
made  out  our  case  or  not.  For  ourselves,  without  any  hesitation 
and  qualification,  we  accept  it  no  longer  as  a  theory,  but  as  a 
demonstrated  and  verified  truth  that  not  only  the  occurrence  of 
Jupiter's  equinoxes  but  those  of  the  other  planets  are  the  causes 
of  disturbances  in  the  Sun,  and  consequently  in  the  whole  solar 
system. 

We  had  intended  also  to  give  a  verification  of  our  theory  by 
showing  that  the  maximum  of  rainfalls  and  of  Cyclones — by 
which  we  especially  mean  the  tropical  hurricanes — also  have 
their  maxima  at  the  equinoxes  of  Jupiter,  and  their  minima  at 
his  solstices,  but  we  must  forbear.  '  If  the  evidence  we  have 
adduced  is  not  deemed  sufficient  by  any  one  to  prove  the  correct- 
ness of  our  theory,  then  no  kind  or  amount  of  evidence  will  do 
so  as  far  as  he  is  concerned.  There  is  no  help  for  him,  and  he 
has  "to  be  delivered  over  to  Satan  for  the  crucifixion  of  the  flesh." 

We  will  however  state  what  has  been  the  general  results  of  our 
investigation  of  rainfalls  and  Cyclones  with  reference  to  their 
prevalence  at  the  Jovial  equinoxes.  We  have  examined  the 
Scotch  tables  published  by  the  Scotch  Meteorological  Society,  ex- 
tending back  to  nearly  the  beginning  of  the  last  century,  and  the 
tables  of  the  rainfalls  of  England  from  1726  to  1869.  In  Scot- 
land the  rainfalls  were  immensely  in  excess  in  1717  and  1718. 
The  major  Jovial  equinox  occurred  in  the  year  1717.58.  From 
1717.58  to  1865.81,  twenty-rour  Jovial  equinoxes  occurred.  At 
fourteen  of  these  the  rainfalls  within  the  disturbed  period  were 
from  five  to  forty  per  cent,  in  excess  of  the  average  for  the  decade 
in  which  they  occurred.  At  five,  they  were  from  two  to  five 
per  cent,  in  excess  of  the  decadal  average.  At  four  they  were 
from  an  average  of  one  to  two  per  cent,  above ;  and  only  at  one, 
the  minor  equinox  of  the  year  1759.09,  was  it  below  nearly  two 
per  cent. 

The  averages  in  the  tables  are  made  out  for  the  Calendar  year. 


(76) 

If  there  were  a  possibility  of  separating  the  rainfalls  so  as  to 
show  exactly  the  amount  that  fell  for  three  years,  say  twenty 
months  before  and  sixteen  months  after,  the  table  indicates  that 
probably  every  period  would  show  a  large  excess. 

We  have  fragmentary  observations  made  in  the  Southern 
Ht  misphere  at  several  different  localities,  in  South  Africa,  Mar- 
itius,  India,  Australia  and  Tasmania.  They  seem  to  point  to  the 
same  conclusion,  but  as  they  were  used  to  prove  the  existence  of 
a  maximum  rainfall  in  every  eleven  years,  and  a  corresponding 
minimum,  the  years  of  the  minor  maximum  are  omitted,  conse- 
quently they  are  unavailable  for  our  purposes. 

In  Dr.  Englemann's  tables  of  continuous  observations  since 
1839,  we  find  the  same  correspondence,  or  rather  coincidences  of 
the  periods  of  greatest  rainfalls  with  the  Jovial  equinoxes.  We 
have  separated  the  observations  so  as  to  show  the  rainfall  for  one 
year,  that  is  six  months  before  and  six  months  after  the  occur- 
rence of  each  equinox.  Dr.  Englemann  gives  the  average  rain- 
fall for  thirty  years  at  St.  Louis,  44.48  inches.  From  these  tables 
of  monthly  rainfalls,  we  ascertain  for  one  year — that  is  for  six 
months  before  and  six  months  after — at  the  minor  Jovial  equi- 
nox occurring  1842.18,  the  rainfall  v/as  46.3  inches:  for  the 
major  that  occurred  in  1848.2,  it  was  66.96  inches  ;  for  the  minor 
of  1853.95,  it  was  46.69  inches  ;  for  the  major  of  1859.88,  it  was 
66.86  inches  ;  and  for  the  minor  of  1865.81,  it  was  46.87  inches  ; 
for  the  major  of  1871.72,  we  have  not  the  tables.  A  comparison 
of  these  amounts  show  a  singular  fact,  probably  accidental,  that 
at  the  major  and  minor  equinoxes  the  amounts  bear  a  uniform 
ratio  to  each  other.  The  amounts  at  all  the  minor  equinoxes 
vary  only  about  half  an  inch,  but  are  about  five  per  cent,  in  excess 
of  the  average  for  thirty  years  ;  while  the  amount  of  rainfall  at 
the  major  equinoxes  also  is  nearly  identical,  varying  only  one- 
third  of  an  inch,  but  are  about  fifty  per  cent,  above  the  average 
for  thirty  years. 

We  have  compared  the  dates  of  104  tropical  hurricanes  that 
have  happened  since  the  year  1675  to  1875,  with  the  dates  of  the 
Jovial  equinoxes ;  we  find  that  seventy-nine  occurred  within 
twenty  months  before,  or  sixteen  months  after  a  Jovial  equinox. 
The  date  of  two,  those  of  the  3d  and  I9th  of  September,  1804, 
correspond  with  a  Saturnian  equinox ;  and  twenty-three  are  not 


(77) 

found  within  the  limits  we  have  assigned— three  years — for  the 
duration  of  a  Jovial  disturbance. 

Mr.  Chas.  Meldrum,  of  the  observatory  at  Port  Louis,  Mauri 
tius,  in  the  focus  of  the  hurricanes  of  the  East  Indies,  has  made 
them  a  special  object  of  observation  and  study.  He  finds  by 
averaging  the  periods,  since  their  occurrences  have  been  noted, 
that  their  average  periodicity  is  eleven  and  one-ninth  year.  It 
is  well  known  that  there  is  a  sporadic  case  once  in  a  while  ot 
every  kind  of  physical  phenomena.  Now  it  is  easily  seen  that 
one  or  two  such  cases,  when  taken  into  consideration,  will  en- 
tirely vitiate  averages,  which  at  best  are  only  approximations, 
and  make  them  wide  from  the  mark.  Senor  Andreas  Poey,  of 
the  observatory  of  Havana,  Cuba,  in  the  heart  of  the  hurricanes 
of  the  West  Indies,  has  also  given  much  attention  to  them,  and 
has  published  the  most  complete  catalogues  of  them  we  have. 
He  also  finds  their  periodicity  to  be  about  eleven  years.  The 
same  remark  applies  to  his  deductions  as  to  those  of  Mr.  Mel- 
drum.  The  wonder  is,  that  with  their  method  of  deduction  they 
come  so  near  the  true  period.  When,  however,  hurricanes  are 
taken  individually,  and  their  dates  compared  with  those  of  the 
Jovial  equinoxes,  it  is  ascertained  that  they  as  uniformly  find 
their  places  and  fall  into  line  as  other  phenomena  do  with  these 
equinoxes. 

Jupiter's  disturbing  influence,  on  an  average,  extends  fully 
over  three  years.  The  perturbation  indubitably  consists  in  his 
imposing  upon  the  Solar  System  so  intensely  high  an  electric 
charge,  that  each  member  of  it  becomes  a  veritable  Gymnotus 
Electricus  swimming  in  Space,  delivering  instantly  an  electric 
broadside  upon  the  least  provocation.  The  charge,  however,  is 
static,  for  if  it  were  not  so,  we  would  have  an  incessant  turmoil 
for  three  years,  of  earthquakes,  hurricanes,  tornadoes,  and  rain, 
hail,  and  thunder  storms.  Intense  as  the  charge  is,  yet,  the 
whole  is  in  equilibrium,  for  all  members  of  the  Solar  System  are 
similarly  affected.  They  are  in  an  irritable  condition,  and  the 
moment  any  one  of  them  is  affected  so  as  to  change  its  electric 
condition,  the  equilibrium  of  the  whole  system  is  disturbed,  and 
each  member  in  its  own  way  proceeds  to  readjust  the  equilibrium. 

The  Earth  and  its  Atmosphere,  though  intensely  charged  with 
Electricity,  may  yet  be  perfectly  tranquil,  until  either  in  its  own 


(78) 

path  of  its  orbit  it  encounters  an  exciting  cause,  or  until  it  is 
affected  by  similar  occurrences  in  Mercury,  Venus  and  Mars, 
when  instantly  a  spasmodic  paroxysm  ensues  either  by  earth- 
quakes and  volcanic  eruptions  in  the  Earth,  by  hurricanes,  im- 
mense rainfalls  and  terrific  electric  explosions  in  the  Atmos- 
phere, or  by  all  combined,  synchronous  in  time  and  often  coin- 
cident in  place.  Now  Mercury  will  bring  on  such  a  paroxysm 
every  44  days,  Venus  every  112  days,  the  Earth  twice  a  year, 
and  Mars  once  in  a  year.*  Hence  during  the  time  of  the  con- 
tinuance of  this  excited  condition,  a  paroxysm  may,  and  proba- 
bly always  does,  in  a  modified  form,  take  place  when  any  one 
of  these  causes  supervenes.  When  there  is  an  extraordinary 
conjunction  of  these  causes — as  there  was  in  February  and 
March,  1871,  and  m  August,  September  and  October,  of  the 
same  year — the  paroxysm  is  almost  unintermittent  for  eighty  or 
ninety  days,  but  ordinarily  under  the  influence  of  a  single  excit- 
ing cause,  the  excitement  expends  itself  in  fifteen  or  twenty  days. 
The  Jovial  disturbance,  since  it  lasts  for  about  three  years,  hence 
manifests  its  presence  by  great  violence  at  the  occurrence  of  a 
planetary  equinox  of  one  of  the  inferior  planeis  long  before  and 
after  the  occurrence  of  the  Jovial  equinox  itself  takes  place. 
This  is  the  reason  why  so  many  energetic  phenomena  occur 
eighteen  and  sometimes  twenty  months  in  advance,  and  twelve 
to  sixteen  months  after  Jupiter's  equinoxes. 

We  have  already  stated  that  the  Sun  is  scarcely  ever  free  from 
spots,  and  that  the  aurora  is  scarcely  ever  absent  from  the  polar 
skies  ;  this  is  true  of  earthquakes  and  cyclones.  A  few  sporadic 
cases  of  each  will  occur  at  all  times,  but  they  generally  are  of  a 
mild  form.  But  these  phenomena  when  they  occur  with  unusual 
frequency  and  with  tremendous  energy,  are  always  found  to  be 
synchronous  with  the  physical  disturbance  imposed  by  a  Jovial 
or  Saturnian  equinox,  and  that  the  paroxysm  is  brought  about 
by  the  influence  of  one  of  the  minor  planets. 

Guided  by  fa.cts  we  have  discovered  the  unity  of  physical  phe- 
nomena and  identified  the  cause  whence  they  emanate.  We 
now  know  their  cause,  the  fixed  time  for  it  to  act,  the  length  of 

*NOTE. — There  is  a  strongly  marked  period  of  disturbance  recurring 
every  23  days.  This  we  attribute  to  Vulcan.  If  this  conjecture  should 
prove  to  be  correct,  then  his  year  consists  of  about  46  days. 


(79) 

the  period  of  its  activity,  and  the  laws  that  control  it.  Hence 
we  know  how  and  why  the  phenomena  occur  and  approximately 
the  time  when  they  will  occur.  But  there  is  one  thing  we  do 
not  know.  We  do  not  know;  except  empirically,  the  relation 
between  the  cause  and.  the  effect,  nor  the  correlation  between 
the  effects  themselves  nor  of  their  mutual  interdependence. 

A  vast  field  for  discovery  is  now  open  and  within  our  reach, 
but  to  reap  the  rich  harvest,  the  whole  scientific  and  unscientific 
world  too  must  change  their  method  of  observation.  Such  facts 
as  those  observed  accidentally  by  Messrs.  Carrington  and  Hodg- 
son, independently  and  at  different  stations,  on  the  ist  of  Sep- 
tember, 1859,  Pomt  out  the  direction  that  observation  must  take 
in  the  Future.  They  were  observing  a  large  sunspot  when  they 
were  startled  by  a  sudden  solar  outburst.  Two  patches  of  most 
dazzling  brilliancy,  far  exceeding  the  brightness  of  the  Sun,  burst 
forth  and  moved  with  great  rapidity — at  the  rate  of  over  7,000 
miles  a  minute — over  the  dark  spot.  But*  the  most  wonderful 
circumstance  is  that,  the  instant  the  outburst  took  place,  not  only 
their  own  magnetic  instruments  were  disturbed,  but  the  self- 
registering  magnetic  instruments  in  all  parts  of  the  woild  show 
the  same  perturbation  at  the  moment.  Moreover,  at  the  same 
time,  "earth  currents"  appeared  on  all  telegraph  lines.  In  the 
United  States,  some  operators  on  the  line  between  Washington 
and  New  York,  were  knocked  down.  In  England,  fire  flowed 
from  the  pen  of  Bain's  telegraph  ;  and  in  Norway,  telegraph  in- 
struments were  set  on  fire.  That  night  .an  electric  storm  pre- 
vailed over  the  whole  globe  ;  bright  auroras  illuminated  the  polar 
skies  of  both  hemispheres :  and  the  town  of  Chirvan,  in  the  gov- 
ernment of  Tiflis  Asia  Minor,  was  buried  by  a  mountain  being 
thrown  upon  it  during  an  earthquake. 

Similar  observations  had  been  made  before,  and  have  been 
since.  The  researches  of  Emile  Kluge  show  many  synchronisms 
between  earthquakes,  volcanic  eruptions  and  magnetic  disturb- 
ances. Prof.  Lament,  of  the  observatory  near  Munich,  and 
Prof.  Colla,  of  Parma,  Italy,  both  observed  a  violent  perturba- 
tion of  their  magnetic  apparatus  on  the  morning  of  April  loth, 
1842,  so  extraordinary  that  both  recorded  the  hour  and  minute. 
Afterwards  it  was  ascertained  that  at  the  very  moment  a  terrible 
earthquake  occurred  in  the  Grecian  Archipelago.  Elsewhere 


(So) 

we  have  given  the  observations  of  Matteuci,  that  electric  currents 
of  greater  tension  and  greater  variability  flow  through  the  Earth 
during  rainstorms,  and  in  clear  weather  also  when  it  is  windy  or 
when  there  are  sudden  and  extreme  oscillations  of  the  barometer, 
than  in  clear  and  tranquil  weather.  We  have  also  given  the  ob- 
servations of  Berlandier,  on  the  frontier  of  Texas,  and  in  the 
State  of  Tamaulipas,  Mexico,  upon  the  increase  of  temperature 
of  cold  water  springs,  often  two  days  in  advance  of  the  appear- 
ance of  a  tropical  hurricane  upon  that  coast.  In  the  present 
chapter  we  have  given  the  synchronisms  between  magnetic  dis- 
turbances observed  at  Havana,  and  the  enlargement,  sudden 
change  and  disintegration  of  sunspots,  while  synchronous  trop- 
ical hurricanes,  accompanied  with  earthquakes,  were  raging  on 
the  adjacent  coast  of  Florida,  or  amongst  the  adjacent  islands. 

Now,  since  magnetic  disturbances, — as  we  have  shown  else- 
where,— are  but  electric  disturbances ;  and  since  sunspots  are 
synchronous  with  sudden  and  violent  electric  currents  in  the 
Earth ;  and  electric  currents  are  synchronous  with  oscillations 
in  atmospheric  pressure,  with  rain  and  wind  storms,  with  hurri- 
canes and  with  earthquakes,  therefore  we  know  that  the  bond  of 
union  between  all  these  phenomena  is  Electricity.  The  period- 
icity of  the  phenomena  is  owing  to  the  ebbs  and  flows  of  Elec- 
tricity ;  and  the  ebbs  and  flows  of  Electricity  in  the  Solar  Sys- 
tem ensues  from  the  peculiar  relations  that  subsist  between  the 
Sun  and  each  planet  at  its  equinoctial  and  solsticial  points. 

Let  this  great  truth  be  once  indelibly  impressed  upon  the  pop- 
ular mind,  and  let  a  definite  and  true  conception  of  the  relations 
between  physical  phenomena  and  their  laws  and  causes  be 
formed,  so  as  to  displace  the  vague  notions  now  generally  prev- 
alent, and  a  stimulant  to  research  and  an  impulse  to  progress 
will  be  given  whose  extent  and  limits  no  one  can  now  foresee, 
nor  foretell. 


CHAPTER  II. 


Venusian,  Mercurial,  Martial  and  Vulcanian  Cycles. 

The  Jovial  Cycle  furnishes  the  principle  around  which  as  a 
nucleus,  all  meteorological  phenomena  crystallize.  Hence  we 
have  endeavored  to  lay  its  foundation  deep  upon  a  firm  and  solid 
bed-rock  of  facts.  There  it  must  permanently  stand,  unshaken 
and  immovable,  amid  all  the  wrecks  of  Time,  unless  the  authen- 
ticity of  the  facts  upon  which  it  rests  is  overthrown,  so  that  their 
dictum  no  longer  can  be  accepted  as  truth. 

But  if  true,  then  it  is  not  barren,  for  truth  is  always  prolific? 
and  it  always  bears  fruit  of  its  own  kind.  The  small  kernel  first 
discovered  in  Jupiter,  will,  under  the  operation  of  the  laws  of 
Nature,  develope  and  expand  into  a  gigantic  tree  whose  branches 
will  fill  the  skies.  In  Nature  there  is  no  isolated  principle. 
None  stands  there  solitary  and  alone  :  for  Nature  does  not  operate 
by  special,  but  by  general  laws.  Hence,  if  Jupiter  were  the  sole 
planet  in  the  solar  system,  though  he  might  represent  a  general 
principle  that  obtains  universally  in  other  solar  systems  ;  but  in 
our  system  he  apparently  would  represent  on|y  a  special  princi- 
ple. But  placed  as  he  is  here,  in  companionship  with  co-planets, 
he  is  subject  to  the  operation  of  the  same  law  that  governs  the 
system  ;  and  in  whatever  manner  that  law  affects  him,  it  likewise 
affects  his  co-planets  under  similar  conditions.  If  in  passing  the 
equinoctial  points  on  his  orbit,  his  own  electric  condition  is  in- 
tensified, and  he  reacts  upon  the  Sun  and  intensifies  its  electric 
condition,  then  the  same  effects  in  degree  are  produced  when 
every  other  planet  passes  its  equinoctial  points. 

Since  facts  unquestionably  prove  that  the  Earth  and  the  Sun, 
and  even  Jupiter  himself,  are  disturbed  when  he  passes  his  equi- 
noctial points,  hence  facts  must  also  exist  that  prove  this  to  be 
the  case  with  all  other  planets  under  similar  circumstances. 
That  this  is  the  case  with  the  Earth  at  her  equinoxes,  has  been 
known  and  admitted  so  long  that  "  the  memory  of  man  runneth 


(82) 

not  to  the  contrary ; "  and  that  she  likewise  communicates  her 
infection  to  her  coplanets,  cannot  be  doubted  so  long  as  the  phys- 
ical law  is  in  force,  that  in  a  group  of  insulated  bodies  the  elec- 
tric condition  of  no  one  of  the  members  can  be  either  eased  or 
intensified,  without  decreasing  or  increasing  in  proportion  the 
electric  tension  on  all  the  members  of  the  group.  Such  are  de- 
ductions warranted  by  general  principles  ;  and  this  can  be  either 
verified  or  disproved  by  the  records  of  facts  which  Time  and  the 
diligence  of  observers  have  accumulated.  These  records  we 
will  now  proceed  to  examine,  and  see  whether  the  Earth  and  its 
Atmosphere,  and  the  Sun  himself,  give  any  evidence  of  disturb- 
ance when  Venus  or  Mercury  pass  their  equinoctial  points. 

To  impress  the  condition  under  which  violent  paroxysms  occur 
more  indelibly  upon  the  mind  of  the  reader,  we  will  recall  the 
fact  repeatedly  stated  in  regard  to  Jupiter's  long  perturbation  of 
nearly  three  years.  Though  the  frequency  and  energy  of  Telluric 
and  atmospheric  paroxysms  during  this  period  indicate  an  abnor- 
mal electric  condition,  yet  the  great  and  terrific  paroxysms  in- 
variably occur  when  the  equinoctial  perturbation  of  one  of  the 
inferior  planets  is  superimposed  on  the  Jovial.  Take  any  Jovial 
period,  and  the  largest  sunspots,  the  most  brilliant  auroras,  the 
most  appalling  earthquakes,  and  the  most  terrific  Cyclones,  invar- 
iably occur  at  our  own  equinoxes,  or  at  those  of  one  of  the  infer- 
ior planets.  The  same  is  true  of  our  own  equinoctial  disturb- 
ances, and  those  of  Venus  also.  The  most  violent  and  terrific 
paroxysms  occur  when  another  planetary  equinox  falls  within 
the  given  period  of  perturbation  ;  for  instance,  at  an  equinox  of 
the  Earth  and  one  of  Venus  ;  one  of  Mercury  and,  above  all, 
what  I  consider  the  equinoctial  disturbance  of  Vulcan.  For  this 
short  period,  as  we  will  show  at  the  proper  time,  like  the  long 
Jovial  period,  is  never  obliterated,  and  invariably  at  its  fixed 
time  manifests  its  presence,  and  under  proper  conditions,  with 
terrific  energy.  Its  constancy  and  its  energy  led  to  its  dis- 
covery. 

The  reader  therefore  perceives  that  the  question  of  the  time 
for  the  occurrence  of  physical  paroxysms  is  not  a  simple  one 
that  can  be  astronomically  determined  by  merely  determining  its 
exciting  cause,  but  is  a  compound  and  often  complex  one,  de- 
pending upon  the  approximate  coincident  occurrence  of  one  or 


(83) 

more  exciting  causes.  Probably  in  but  few  cases  is  a  phenom- 
enon purely  owing  to  one  cause.  It  is  certain  that  all  violent 
ones  are  the  combined  effects  of  several  cooperating  causes. 
For  example,  in  Jupiter's  Cycle — lacking  only  51  days  of  12 
years — he  fixes  two  periods  at  which  physical  perturbations  will 
occur.  The  duration  of  each  of  these  is  estimated  at  three 
years,  though  the  perturbations  of  the  magnetic  needle,  and  the 
prevalence  of  sunspots  show  that  the  influence  is  sometimes  very 
sensibly  felt  for  a  longer  period.  These  periods  are  separated  by 
intervals  of  comparative  tranquility  of  the  same  length  as  them- 
selves, in  which  physical  phenomena  are  rare,  and  what  occur 
are  generally  of  a  mild  character.  But  the  periods  of  perturba- 
tion abound  in  frequent  and  violent  physical  disturbances,  often 
unintermittent  for  four  or  five  months,  and  then  intermit  for  as 
long  a  period,  when  they  again  recur. 

It  is  during  these  periods,  as  we  have  shown,  that  nearly  all  the 
terrific  physical  phenomena  recorded  in  history  have  occurred. 
They  are  brought  about  in  this  way  :  During  the  period  of  Jupi- 
ter's excitement — (the  Ancients  called  it  Jupiter's  wrath) — the 
Earth  obtrudes  by  her  equinoxes  six  periods  of  excitement,  Venus 
nine,  and  sometimes  ten,  Mercury  twenty-four  or  five,  and  Vul- 
can about  forty-eight.  However,  as  nearly  two-thirds  of  the 
equinoxes  of  Venus  fall  near  to  or  within  twenty-five  or  thirty 
days  of  the  Earth's,  so  in  the  three  perturbed  years  we  have  only 
seven  or  eight  seasons  strongly  marked  by  violent  paroxysms, 
though  all  the  elements  of  perturbation  are  more  or  less  active 
during  the  whole  time.  During  the  disturbed  period  that  culmi- 
nated in  the  Autumn  of  1871,  we  had  only  six  such  seasons  so 
strongly  marked  by  their  violence  as  to  give  them  prominence  ; 
namely  :  first,  September,  October  and  November,  1870  ;  second, 
January,  February  and  March,  18.71  ;  third,  June  and  July,  in 
same  year ;  fourth,  August,  September  and  October,  of  same 
year;  fifth,  March  and  April,  1872  ;  and  sixth,  August,  Septem- 
ber and  October,  same  year.  The  first  of  these  periods  was 
purely  Jovial  and  Telluric  ;  the  second,  Jovial,  Venusian  and  Tel- 
luric ;  the  third,  Jovial  and  Venusian  ;  the  fourth,  Jovial,  Mar- 
tial, Venusian  and  Telluric ;  the  fifth  and  sixth,  were  Jovial,  Ve- 
nusian and  Telluric.  Each  period,  of  course,  was  besides  compli- 
cated by  several  Vulcanian  and  one  or  two  Mercurial  disturbances. 


(84) 

It  is  hence  perceived  that  paroxysms  are  precipitated  at  any 
time  during  a  Jovial  disturbance  when  an  equinox  of  one  or  of 
several  minor  planets  supervene,  and  that  such  paroxysm  endures 
whi'e  the  adventitious  disturbing  cause  lasts,  when  comparative 
tranquility  again  ensues  until  another  such  disturbing  cause 
supervenes.  This  is  the  reason  why  the  terrific  phenomena  so 
characteristic  of  these  periods  are  so  widely  distributed  as  to  time, 
some  coming  a  year  and  a  half  before  and  others  as  long  after 
the  occurrence  of  the  Jovial  equinox. 

The  same  principle  obtains  in  Telluric  and  Venusian  equi- 
noxes. The  violent  phenomena  to  which  they  give  rise,  hardly 
ever  are  synchronous  with  them.  If  they  are,  then  it  is  because 
an  equinox  of  Mercury  or  of  Vulcan  for  the  time  being  coincides, 
or  nearly  so,  with  the  Telluric  or  Venusian  equinox.  Hence 
phenomena  in  the  Telluric  and  Venusian  cycles  are  also  distrib- 
uted over  the  entire  period  of  the  perturbation  caused  by  them, 
because  they  depend  for  their  occurrence  upon  the  intervention 
of  a  secondary  cause.  For  instance,  in  the  Northern  Henlis- 
phere,  the  tropical  hurricanes,  which  plainly  are  owing  to  changes 
that  will  be  completed  at  the  Autumnal  equinox,  by  the  inter- 
vention of  secondary  causes,  often  occur  in  the  latter  part  of 
July,  and  continue  to  occur  to  the  end  of  October.  In  the 
Southern  Hemisphere,  owing  to  the  same  causes,  they  begin  to 
appear  in  the  latter  part  of  January  and  continue  till  after  the 
middle  of  April.  No  exact  coincidences  of  physical  paroxysms 
with  Telluric  and  Venusian  equinoxes  can  hence  be  expected, 
though  frequently,  from  the  causes  we  have  indicated,  such  coin- 
cidences do  occur.  The  latest  case  is  that  of  the  terrible  tor- 
nado in  Alabama  and  Georgia,  of  March  20,  1875,  synchronous 
with  the  Telluric  and  Vulcanian  equinoxes  of  that  date.  But, 
though  phenomena  exactly  coinciding  with  Telluric  and  Venusian 
equinoxes  are  rare,  yet  with  Mercurial,  and  especially  with  Vul- 
canian, they  almost  invariably  coincide  to  the  day.  It  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  our  information  of  the  latter  planet  is  so  meagre, 
being  confined  exclusively  to  its  existence,  its  nodes,  and  his 
probable  periodicity.  We  are  now  prepared  to  proceed  and 
verify  the  existence  of  a  Venusian  cycle,  consisting  of  224.7 
days,  or  .615186  of  a  year,  with  a  physical  disturbance  at  the 
end  of  1 1 2  days. 


VENUSIAN  STORMS. 

Under  this  head  we  shall  include  all  the  storms  falling 
within  the  Venusian  equinoctial  period ;  though  in  their  pro- 
duction, Jupiter,  Mars,  Earth,  Mercury  and  Vulcan  have  par- 
ticipated. Wherever  we  conveniently  can,  we  will  state  what 
planets  conjoined  in  the  production  of  the  phenomena. 

The  records  of  storms  are  abundant  in  history,  but  no  date  ex- 
cept the  year  is  given  prior  to  the  year  1000.  Jupiter  extends  his 
influence  over  three  years,  hence  all  Jovial  phenomena  can  be 
identified  when  the  year  is  given  ;  but  Venus  extends  her  influ- 
ence hardly  over  two  months  ;  hence,  if  the  month  is  given,  we 
can  approximately  identify  them,  but  there  is  no  certainty  unless 
we  have  the  day  given. 

It  is  stated  that  in  the  year  944,  1 ,500  houses  were  destroyed 
by  a  tempest  in  London.  No  other  date  is  given.  In  the  year 
1090,  it  is  recorded  that  a  violent  tornado  overturned  606  houses 
in  London  alone. 

The  first  specific  date  of  a  storm  we  find,  is  the  one  that  oc- 
curred on  the  5th  of  October,  1091,  in  England.  The  account 
states  that  it  came  from  the  South-west,  and  that  the  sky  was 
terribly  dark.  Many  churches  were  destroyed,  and  that  in  Lon- 
don over  500  houses  fell.  A  Venusian  equinox  occnred  October 
1 2th,  1091,  hence  corresponding  within  seven  days.  This  date 
probably  is  old  style :  hence  if  corrected  for  style  and  precession 
of  the  equinoxes,  it  will  still  correspond  within  15  days  of  the 
date  of  the  equinox. 

It  is  said  by  Hollingshead  that,  in  the  month  of  January,  1382, 
when  the  queen  of  Richard  II.  came  from  Bohemia,  on  her  set- 
ting foot  on  shore  an  awful  storm  arose,  and  her  ship  and  a 
number  of  others  were  dashed  to  pieces  in  the  harbor.  A  Ve- 
nusian equinox  occurred  February  5th,  1382  ;  though  the  day  for 
January  is  not  given,  yet  as  this  is  old  style,  17  days  have  to  be 
added  for  style  and  precession  of  the  equinoxes,  to  whatever  day 
in  January  it  may  have  occurred  ;  it  hence  may  coincide  with 
the  equinox,  or  at  least  must  approximate  very  closely  to  it. 
Hollingshead  relates  as  a  singular  coincidence  that  Richard's 
second  queen  also  brought  a  storm  with  her  to  the  coast  of  Eng- 
land, in  which  the  King  lost  his  baggage,  and  many  ships  were 
destroyed  ;  but  the  only  date  given  is  the  year.  1396. 


(86) 

Many  storms  are  recorded,  but  none  that  we  could  find  with 
day  given,  until  we  came  to  the  wreck  of  the  Mary  Rose,  60 
guns,  going  from  Portsmouth  to  Spithead,  and  all  on  board,  per- 
ished in  a  storm  July  2Oth,  1545.  This  however  was  not  caused 
by  a  Venusian  equinox,  it  having  occurred  52  days  after  the  pre- 
ceding, and  60  days  before  the  succeeding  Venusian  equinox. 
Correcting  the  date  for  style  and  precession  of  the  equinoxes  and 
it  corresponds  to  August  4th,  1545,  of  the  epoch  of  1875.  A  Mer- 
curial equinox  occurred  on  August  4th,  1545.  If  our  determin- 
ation be  correct  of  the  length  of  the  Vulcanian  Cycle,  then  that 
cycle  completed  itself  on  the  3ist  of  July,  1545,  or  five  days  be- 
fore. 

The  general  storm  that  prevailed  in  England,  and  in  fact 
throughout  Europe,  the  day  that  Cromwell  died,  September  3d, 
1658,  corresponds  with  the  following  equinoxes  :  Venus,  Aug- 
ust I9th ;  Mercury,  September  ist;  Vulcan,  September  2d  ;  and 
Earth,  September  2ist.  If  the  date  is  corrected  for  style  and 
precession,  it  brings  it  within  five  days  of  the  Autumnal  equinox. 
I  consider  it  a  Telluric  phenomena,  intensified  by  the  approxi- 
mate conjunction  of  so  many  planetary  equinoxes. 

The  next  specific  date  is  September  ist,  1691,  a  storm  in  which 
the  Coronation,  90  guns,  foundered  off  the  Ramhead,  and  the 
Harwich,  7°  guns?  wrecked  and  all  on  board  perished.  No 
Venusian  equinox  comes  within  40  days  of  this  disaster.  A 
Mercurial  equinox  occurred  August  3 ist,  1691,  or  one  day  of 
date  given  ;  but  correcting  the  date  of  the  disaster  for  style  and 
precession,  and  it  corresponds  to  September  i4th,  1691.  The 
Vulcanian  cycle  completed  itself  exactly  on  this  day 

We  now  come  to  what  is  called  the  "  Great  Storm,"  the  one 
that  occurred  on  the  26th  and  27th  of  November,  1703,  in  Eng- 
land and  throughout  Europe.  The  loss  sustained  in  London 
alone  was  estimated  at  £2,000,000  sterling.  The  number  of  per- 
sons drowned  in  the  floods  of  the  Severn  and  the  Thames,  and 
lost  on  the  coast  of  Holland,  and  in  ships  blown  from  their  moor- 
ings, and  never  heard  of  afterwards,  is  estimated  at  8,000. 
Twelve  men-of-war,  among  which  were  the  Sterling  Castle, 
Mary,  Northumberland,  of  70  guns  each,  were  lost  on  the  Good- 
win ;  the  Vanguard,  70  guns,  sunk  at  Chatham  ;  the  York,  70 
guns,  near  Harwick,  all  on  board  perished  except  four  men  ;  on 


(87) 

the  Resolution ,  60  guns,  wrecked  on  the  coast  of  Sussex  ;  and  on 
the  New.  Castle,  60  guns,  at  Spithead,  193  were  drowned  ;  on  the 
Reserve,  60  guns,  at  Yarmouth,  1 73  persons  perished  ;  and  on 
the  smaller  vessels,  altogether  1800  were  lost  in  sight  of  shore. 

In  Kent  alone  17,000  trees  were  torn  up  by  the  roots.  Eddy- 
stone  lighthouse  was  destroyed,  and  in  it  the  ingenious  Win- 
stanley,  the  contriver  of  it,  and  all  the  persons  with  him  perished.. 
Thebishop  of  Bath  and  of  Wells  and  his  lady  were  killed  in  bed, 
in  their  palace  in  Somersetshire.  Immense  numbers  of  cattle 
were  killed  and  drowned.  The  devastation  on  land  and  the  loss 
in  shipping  was  immense.  The  date  of  this  storm,  corrected  for 
style,  etc.,  is  December  8th  and  9th,  1703.  The  equinox  of 
Venus  occurred  on  November  9th,  1703  I  or  29  days  from  the 
date  as  corrected.  It  probably  therefore  had  little  influence. 
A  Saturnian  disturbance  was  however  prevailing  and  in  full  en- 
ergy at  the  time,  and  an  approaching  Jovial  equinox  was  only 
18  months  distant.  An  equinox  of  Mercury  occurred  on  the  9th 
of  December,  or  on  the  second  day  of  the  storm,  and  a  Vulcan- 
ian  one*  on  the  8th  of  December,  the  day  that  the  storm  com- 
menced. 

An  awful  storm  prevailed  in  the  North  of  England,  Oct.  29, 
1775  ;  many  ships  destroyed,  and  four  Dublin  packets  wrecked. 
Equinox  of  Venus  Oct.  27th,  1775  ;  of  Mercury,  Nov.  ist,  and  of 
Vulcan,  Nov.  6th 

Hurricane  at  Surat,  East  Indies,  April  22,  1782.  A  Jovial 
equinox  occurred  about  five  months  after  this  cyclone.  Venu- 
sian  April  I3th  ;  Vulcan ian,  April  29th,  and  Mercurial  May  4th. 

October  3d  to  iSth,  1780,  a  terrible  hurricane,  or  perhaps  sev- 
eral, prevailed  in  the  West  Indies.  On  the  nth  of  October  it 

*NOTE. — The  reader's  attention  is  particularly  called  to  what  we  have 
provisionally  named  the  Vulcanian  Cycle,  recurring  every  23  days;  and 
to  the  surprising  exactitude  with  which  it  almost  invariably  hits  the 
dates  of  every  violent  physical  phenomenon.  We  had  with  much  labor 
calculated  approximately  its  exact  period,  but  afterwards  discovered,  if 
we  discarded  the  fractional  parts  of  both  our  own  year  and  that  of  Vul- 
can,— considering  the  former  as  365  days  and  the  latter  as  46  days,  the 
number  23,  that  is,  the  interval  between  his  equinoxes,  measured  the 
phenomenal  periods  for  over  300  years,  without  anjr  appreciable  devia- 
tion. We  will  not  positively  assert  that  our  determination  is  correct, 
but  that  it  is  an  exact,  well  and  sharply  defined  Meteorological  Cycle, 
admits  of  no  doubt.  We  appeal  to  facts,  and  to  them  alone,  to  decide 
this  matter. 


(88) 

raged  most  terribly  at  Barbadoes  ;  over  4,000  of  the  inhabitants 
lost  their  lives.  A  twelve  pounder  was  taken  up  and  carried 
140  yards.  The  following  vessels  of  the  British  navy  were  lost 
in  this  hurricane  :  Thunderer,  74  guns  ;  Sterling  Castle,  64  ; 
Defiance,  64  ;  Phoenix,  44  ;  LaBlanche,  32  ;  Laurel,  Shark 
and  Andromeda,  28  each ;  Deal  Castle,  Penelope  and  Scar- 
borough,  24  each  ;  Barbadoes,  Camelcon,  Endeavor,  14  each; 
and  Victor,  loguns.  This  hurricane  was  at  Havana  on  the  i6th, 
and  at  the  Bermudas  on  the  iSth.  The  following  approximate 
conjunction  of  planetary  equinoxes  were  taking  place.  Earth, 
September  2ist;  Venus,  September  29th  ;  Vulcan,  October  ist; 
and  Mercury,  October  9th.  It  ought  to  be  noted  that  tropical 
hurricanes  originate  at  sea,  and  move  very  slowly,  so  the  exact 
date  of  their  origin  is  hardly  ever  known  ;  the  date  given  for 
them  is  that  when  first  observed.  The  same  hurricane  has  often 
been  seen  for  twenty  consecutive  days. 

We  may  as  well  mention  another  terrible  hurricane  by  which 
Barbadoes  was  laid  waste  on  the  roth  of  August,  1831.  Over 
2,500  of  the  inhabitants  were  killed,  and  over  5,000  wounded. 
A  piece  of  lead,  weighing  4,000  pounds,  was  lifted  and  carried 
over  300  yards.  The  Jovial  perturbation  of  the  year  previous, 
reinforced  by  a  Saturnian,  still  prevailed.  Venus  had  passed  her 
equinox  on  the  29th  of  June  ;  but  the  Mercurial  equinox  occurred 
August  4th,  and  a  Vulcanian  August  8th.  This  hurricane,  it  is 
perceived,  was  one  of  unusual  violence  and  of  long  duration. 
On  August  roth,  the  day  that  it  devastated  the  Barbadoes,  a 
severe  earthquake  occurred  in  the  East  Indies.  Col.  Reid, 
Governor  of  the  Bermudas,  records  in  his  journal :  "  That 
during  the  nth  and  I2th  of  August,  the  Sun  was  of  a  bluish 
color,  and  its  light  unusually  dim  ;"*  a  fact  that  will  be  appre- 
ciated by  physicists  three  or  four  generations  hence,  as  showing 
what  is  now  shown  by  the  spectrum,  that  Light  passes  by  way 
of  blue  into  Electricity,  by  way  of  red  into  Heat.  But  this  is 
forbidden  ground  for  us  at  present. 

On  the  8th  of  November,  1800,  a  general  storm  prevailed 
throughout  England,  doing  immense  damage  both  on  sea  and 


*NOTE. — I  witnessed  the  same  phenomena  on  the  same  days,  in  the 
State  of  Maryland,  where  I  was  engaged  in  teaching.  A  similar  phenom- 
enon occurred  a  few  weeks  later,  only  the  Sun  was  purple  instead  of  blue. 


(§9) 

land.  Jupiter's  equinox  occurred  in  June  of  this  year  ;  that  of 
Venus,  October  24th  ;  of  Vulcan,  November  6th  ;  and  that  of 
Mercury,  November  iyth.  In  Europe  storms  generally  come 
from  the  ocean  ;  hence  generally  appear  later  than  their  exciting 
causes. 

December  i6th  and  lyth,  ici4,  "a  tremendous  storm  through- 
out Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  by  which  immense  damage  was 
done  and  many  ships  were  wrecked."  Venusian  equinox,  No- 
vember zist;  Vulcanian,  December  i8th ;  Mercurial,  Decem- 
ber 23d. 

December  I2th,  1822,  "a  storm  in  Ireland,  particularly  in  the 
vicinity  of  Dublin,  many  houses  thrown  down  and  vast  numbers 
unroofed.  A  Venusian  equinox  occurred  November  23d,  1822  ; 
a  Vulcanian,  December  3d,  and  a  Mercurial  December  2d,  1822. 

The  genus  Cyclones  embraces  all  kinds  of  rotary  storms. 
Sand-spouts  of  sandy  deserts ;  cloud  and  dust  spouts  on  land ; 
and  water-spouts  at  sea,  are  species  of  Cyclones.  When  a  tor- 
nado with  its  dust  and  cloud-spout  passes  from  the  land  over  a 
body  of  water,  it  becomes  converted  into  a  water-spout,  and  vice 
versa.  But  there  are  distinct  varieties  of  each,  in  which  the 
conversion  does  not  take  place  ;  e.  g.^  the  water-spout  of  a  calm 
atmosphere  and  tranquil  sea  ;  and  the  dry  whirlwind  in  calm 
weather  carrying  up  an  immense  column  of  dust. 

On  the  27th  of  June,  1827,  occurred,  on  the  coast  of  Sicily,  in 
the  Mediterranean  Sea,  those  grand,  yet  as  may  well  be  con- 
ceived, awe-inspiring  water-spouts  represented  in  our  engraving. 
The  following  conjunction  of  equinoxes  occurred  at  this  time  ; 
namely,  Vulcan,  July  4th ;  Venus  and  Mercury  both  on  June 
30th. 

January  I2th  and  i3th,  1828,  "an  awful  storm  in  England, 
and  along  the  British  coast.  Many  vessels  lost,  and  thirteen 
driven  ashore  at  Plymouth  alone."  There  was  a  Venusian  equi- 
nox on  the  i3th  of  January. 

The  Black  Sea  Storm. — From  the  I3th  to  the  i6th  of  No- 
vember, 1854,  a  terrific  storm  raged  in  the  Black  Sea.  Eleven 
transports  (English)  were  totally  wrecked  and  six  disabled.  The 
new  steamer  Prince  was  lost  with  144  lives,  and  a  cargo  worth 
£500,000,  indispensable  to  the  army  in  the  Crimea.  The  loss  of 
life  in  the  other  vessels  is  estimated  at  340.  Except  Jupiter  who 


(90) 

had  passed  his  equinox  about  eleven  months  previous  to  the  date 
of  this  storm,  but  two  other  planets  contributed  to  this  phenom- 
enon, namely,  Vulcan  and  Venus,  the  former  passed  his  equinox 
on  the  loth,  the  latter  on  the  i5th,  or  the  day  before  the  storm 
ended. 

According  to  Professor  Dewey,  a  violent  storm  raged  on  the 
American  Lakes  on  the  same  day,  namely,  November  I3th,  1854. 

I  have  so  far  followed  in  detail  an  English  list.  Prof.  Miiller, 
in  his  Lehrbuch  der  Kosmischen  Physik,  mentions  a  hurricane 
that  commenced  on  the  23d  of  December,  1821,  and  continued 
until  the  27th.  For  four  days  it  swept  over  Europe  like  a  single 
whirlwind.  When  it  struck  the  peaks  of  the  Spanish  mountains 
and  the  Maritime  Alps,  it  broke  up  into  smaller  storms,  which 
rushed  with  devastating  fury  through  all  the  valleys,  smaller  in 
diameter  but  of  equal  energy  to  the  original  hurricane.  This 
hurricane  was  similar  in  character  to  that  of  29th  November, 
1836,  and  originated  in  the  Atlantic.  I  have  not  been  able  to 
find  a  trace  of  it  in  America,  yet  like  the  latter  storm,  it  may 
have  originated  here  and  traversed  the  broad  Atlantic.  Under 
these  circumstances,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that  its  date  will  cor- 
respond very  closely  with  its  exciting  causes.  It  is  very  remark- 
able that  seven  days  before  its  appearance  in  Europe,  namely, 
on* the  1 6th  of  December,  1821,  an  extraordinary  conjunction  of 
the  following  planetary  equinoxes  took  place,  namely,  Venus, 
Mercury  and  Vulcan. 

The  following  is  the  storm  referred  to  above  :  Johnston,  in  his 
Physical  Atlas,  says,  "  One  of  the  most  dreadful  hurricanes  on 
record  in  the  Temperate  Zone,  whether  on  account  of  injury  it 
caused  or  the  extraordinary  extent  to  which  it  raged,  was  that  of 
November  29th,  1836.  According  to  the  best  information  it 
began  in  America,  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  reached  the  Europ- 
ean coast  on  the  parallel  of  the  English  Channel.  The  first 
accurate  account  shows  it  on  the  23d  of  November,  on  the  east 
coast  of  North  America,  in  the  parallel  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 
It  continued  its  way  over  the  Atlantic,  and  approached  Land's 
End  on  the  29th  of  November,  at  7.45  A.  M.  ;  it  was  at  Plym- 
outh at  8.30;  at  Exeter  9.30;  Weymouth  10.15;  Poole  10.30; 
Farnham  at  12,  noon  ;  London  12.30  P.  M.  ;  Island  of  Walcher- 
on  at  I  ;  in  Diisseldorf  at  2  ;  in  Hamburg  and  Berlin  at  6  ;  and  in 


(90 

Koenigsberg  at  9  P.  M.  The  storm  raged  most  on  the  coast  of 
France  and  Belgium.  At  Ostend,  scarcely  a  house  was  left  un- 
roofed, and  the  demand  for  tile  in  consequence  became  so  great 
that  the  price  for  1000  arose  from  1 6  to  30  florins." 

The  following  is  ascertained  to  be  the  dates  of  the  planetary 
equinoxes  of  that  date :  Mercury,  November  22d,  and  Vulcan, 
November  23d,  1836,  the  latter  the  exact  day  that  the  storm  first 
attracted  notice  on  the  Northeast  coast  of  America. 

We  intended  to  have  taken  up  the  British  list  of  wrecks  and  ver- 
ified the  cycles  by  them,  but  it  would  be  too  tedious :  besides,  if 
the  evidence  adduced,  and  that  to  be  adduced,  do  not  prove  the 
existence  of  these  cycles,  what  evidence  will  ?  We  have  already 
given  a  list  of  the  wrecks  wrought  by  the  special  storms  we  have 
considered,  we  will  however  give  one  more,  because  it  will  be 
recalled  by  many  readers.  It  occurred  in  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  on 
January  nth,  1866,  and  produced  a  deep  sensation  both  in  Eu- 
rope and  America  at  the  time.  We  allude  to  the  foundering  of 
the  steamer  London,  on  her  way  to  Melbou-rne,  carrying  down 
220  persons ;  among  them  Prof.  VVooley,  principal  of  the  univer- 
sity of  Sydney  ;  and  the  tragedian,  G.  V.  Brooke.  On  the  same 
day  the  steamer  Amalia  also  went  down  with  a  cargo  valued  at 
£200,000.  An  unusual  atmospheric  perturbation  pervaded  the 
entire  globe  at  the  time.  In  the  latter  part  of  December,  and 
early  part  of  January,  violent  storms  are  mentioned  in  the  Chinese 
Sea ;  and  on  the  26th  and  2Sth  of  December,  1865,  violent  gales 
on  the  American  Lakes  and  Atlantic  coast,  are  recorded.  In  a 
summary  of  the  English  list  of  wrecks,  we  find  this  remark : 
"  Many  wrecks  and  great  loss  of  life  during  the  gales  from  the 
6th  to  the  nth  of  January,  1866."  There  must  have  been  an 
adequate  cause  for  this  extreme  and  widespread  atmospheric 
commotion,  and  for  its  violence  and  protraction.  The  following 
are  ascertained  to  be  the  exciting  causes :  Jupiter  passed  his 
minor  equinox  about  November  ist,  1865  ;  a  Venusian  equinox 
occurred  December  roth  ;  a  Vulcanian  December  3ist,  1865  ;  and 
a  Mercurial  January  9th,  1866. 

In  passing  from  European  to  American  storms,  we  recall  at- 
tention to  the  fact  already  stated,  that  European  storms,  as  a 
rule,  originate  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  and  hence  exist  for  days 
and  even  a  week  before  they  manifest  themselves  on  the  Europ- 


can  coast.  We  have  given  an  illustration  of  this  fact  in  the 
great  storm  of  November,  1836,  traced  by  Mr.  Johnston  to  New 
Foundland,  where  it  was  fully  developed  on  the  23d,  or  six  days 
before  it  struck  the  shores  of  Europe.  The  same  remark  applies 
to  the  tropical  hurricanes  of  America.  They  originate  in  the 
tropical  sea,  many  degrees  east  of  the  Windward  Islands,  and 
exist  for  days  before  they  strike  those  islands,  and  then  from  five 
to  ten  days  often  elapse  before  they  strike  the  coast  of  Florida. 
The  tropical  hurricane  that  struck  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  with 
such  terrible  fury  on  the  24th  and  25th  of  August,  1873,  affords 
an  illustration  of  this  remark.  The  Crest  of  the  Wave  encount- 
ered it  on  the  i3th  of  August,  in  N.  latitude  14°  W.  longitude 
27  °  as  a  severe  gale.  The  next  definite  account  of  it,  is  on  the 
iSth,  from  there  the  Signal  Office  located  it  daily  until  it  struck  the 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia  on  the  24th,  and  for  days  afterwards,  for 
it  is  supposed  that  the  severe  storm  that  passed  over  England  on 
the  3ist  of  August,  and  struck  the  coast  of  Norway  on  Septem- 
ber 2d,  was  this  identical  storm.  Under  such  circumstances  it 
is  seen  to  be  almost  impossible  to  trace  this  class  of  storms  to 
their  exciting  causes.  In  the  case  of  this  storm,  however,  this 
can  be  done  accurately. 

The  Telluric  equinox  was  uquestionably,  as  well  as  the  Ven- 
usian,  a  factor  in  the  cyclone.  The  immediate  exciting  cause 
was  Mercury,  who  passed  his  equinox  on  the  I3th,  the  very  day 
that  the  Crest  of  the  Wave  met  this  storm,  then  only  a  severe 
gale.  On  the  I9th  of  the  month,  it  was  intensified  by  the  occur- 
rence of  a  Vulcanian  equinox,  and  on  the  next  day,  the  2oth,  by 
a  Venusian.  Hence  its  terrific  energy  whilst  opposite  Nova 
Scotia  ;  for  its  center  did  not  strike  that  coast  by  from  100  to  150 
miles. 

The  loss  of  life  was  terrible,  and  that  of  property  immense, 
estimated  at  the  time  at  from  $4,000,000  to  $5,000,000.  The 
number  of  houses  destroyed  was  about  900.  The  Signal 
Service  Office  says :  "Any  endeavor  to  estimate  the  value 
of  the  property  destroyed,  is  attended  with  great  difficul- 
ties, but  may  be  within  bounds,  if  to  the  $700,000  damage  done 
to  wharves  and  crops,  is  added  $1,000  for  each  building,  $2,000 
for  each  of  the  larger  vessels,  and  $r,ooo  for  each  of  the  smaller 
ones,  which  would  give  a  total  of  $3,500,000 ;  a  sum  that  it  will 


(93) 

be  seen  may  easily  be  far  below  the  truth."  The  Signal  Office 
Report  further  states  :  "That  1032  ships,  of  which  435  were  small 
fishing  schooners,  are  known  to  have  been  destroyed  during  the 
24th  and  25th  of  August,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Gulf  of  St. 
Lawrence  and  the  Atlantic  shores  of  Nova  Scotia,  Cape  Breton, 
and  New  Foundland.  On  the  other  hand  over  90  vessels  were 
destroyed  by  this  hurricane  in  its  passage  over  the  ocean  before 
it  reached  Nova  Scotia,  making  a  grand  total  of  at  least  1123 
vessels  destroyed  within  a  few  days  by  its  power.  Two  hundred 
and  twenty-three  lives  are  definitely  reported  to  be  lost,  and  the 
moderate  estimate  of  the  numerous  cases  in  which  whole  crews 
have  been  lost,  swells  this  number  to  nearly  500  ;  and  if  to  this 
is  added  the  loss  of  life  on  land,  and  the  loss  in  the  earlier  his- 
tory of  the  cyclone,  the  grand  total  amounts  to  ;:t  least  600 
lives." 

This  lamentable  disaster  shows  the  necessity  of  elementary 
knowledge  in  the  first  principles  of  Meteorology  more  clearly 
and  convincingly  than  any  argument  we  can  adduce,  enforcing 
what  it  teaches  in  a  manner  more  powerful  than  any  words 
would  that  we  can  command.  Here  is  a  chance  for  teaching 
Natural  Science  in  our  elementary  schools  ;  but  let  no  philan- 
thropist, with  more  zeal  than  knowledge,  commit  the  egregious 
blunder  of  attempting  to  teach  it  before  it  is  discovered  ;  for 
what  now  passes  for  Meteorology  is  less  like  that  Science  than 
Vegetable  oysters  are  like  real  oysters.  Better  teach  nothing 
than  teach  error.  Elementary  books  say,  "that  the  wind  at  the 
surface  of  the  Earth  will  tend  from  the  colder  to  the  warmer 
region,  and  from  the  place  where  there  is  least  vapor  to  where 
there  is  most  vapor,"  when  the  facts  fully  as  often  contradict  as 
sustain  this  theory.  For  instance,  the  warm  wind  flowing  north- 
ward, out  of  an  area  of  a  southern  high  barometer,  flows  from 
a  warmer  to  a  colder  region,  and  as  it  advances  northward,  has 
its  own  temperature  reduced  as  the  thermometer  shows ;  and  the 
moist  winds  of  the  ocean,  which  every  where  carry  moisture  into 
the  interior  of  continents,  watering  them  by  producing  rain 
there,  flow  as  often  and  as  long  from  the  moist  region  over  oceans 
to  dry  regions  over  continents,  as  the  dry  air  over  continents 
flows  into  the  moist  air  over  oceans.  The  truth  is  the  principle 
is  false  ;  for  as  we  have  shown  in  Part  I,  atmospheric  move- 


(94) 

ments  have  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  either  the  temperature 
or  hygrometric  condition  of  the  Atmosphere.  These  movements 
are  initiated  and  controlled  by  general  laws  of  an  entirely  differ- 
ent character,  as  we  there  demonstrated. 

Amid  the  general  zeal  for  applying  Science  to  facilitate  the 
operations,  and  for  multiplying  and  cheapening  the  products  of 
every  kind  of  industry,  we  have  not  seen  any  practical  plan  for 
the  application  of  Science  to  the  protection  of  those  products 
afterwards  against  the  dangers  and  risks  of  the  elements  to 
which  they  will  be  exposed  in  flood  and  field,  on  land  and  water, 
either  before  they  are  finally  garnered,  or  distributed  to  the 
points  where  needed.  Here  we  see  hundreds  of  lives  lost,  and 
from  four  to  five  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  property  engulfed 
and  swallowed  up  in  a  few  hours,  and  most  of  it  recklessly  ex- 
posed from  sheer  ignorance  of  the  first  principles  of  Meteorol- 
ogy. Surely  the  declaration  of  the  prophet,  "the  people  perish 
for  want  of  knowledge,"  is  as  true  in  our  Age — notwithstanding 
from  self-conceit  and  pride  we  maintain  the  contrary — that  it 
was  2,500  years  ago.  The  sufferers,  in  this  instance,  are  not  to 
be  charged  with  culpable  ignorance,  for  they  were  fully  as  much 
enlightened  on  this  subject  as  this  Age  is  ;  but  the  fault  is  with 
the  thought,  or  rather  want  of  thought,  and  mental  habitudes  of 
our  Age  laboring  under  the  delusion  that  Nature  is  a  sealed,  not 
an  open  book,  which  every  one  can  read  and  understand  for 
himself. 

Meteorology  is  that  Science  which  takes  cognizance  of  all 
atmospheric  phenomena  and  changes,  and  by  investigating  their 
nature  and  character,  ascertains  and  determines  their  causes.  In 
this  sense,  as  a  Science,  it  is  therefore  not  yet  born,  for  what 
now  passes  for  it,  is  even  incapable  of  explaining  the  Past,  how 
then  can  it  be  expected  to  divine  the  Future? 

The  economy  of  Nature  is  perfect,  but  books,  the  spectacles, 
with  distorting  glasses,  through  which  we  look  at  it,  prevent  us 
from  perceiving  its  beauty  and  symmetry,  and  from  conceiving, 
admiring  and  adoring  its  simplicity,  grandeur  and  sublimity.  In 
it  physical  causes  are  so  organized  and  arranged  that  they  pro- 
duce proper  variety  in  their  effects.  Heat  and  cold,  rain  and 
sunshine,  we  must  have,  but  neither  continuously.  We  must 
have  alternations  of  each,  systematically  distributed  so  as  to  give 


(95) 

the  proper  variety  and  diversity  to  the  seasons ;  and  this  is  at- 
tained to  the  utmost  perfection  by  the  fixed  planetary  arrange- 
ment Nature  has  ordained  to  bring  about  these  changes  at  reg- 
ular intervals.  The  Sun  she  has  ordained  to  shed  abroad  the 
primitive  form  of  Energy,  Light :  but  uniform  energy  distributed 
by  a  body  of  uniform  potency,  and  in  unvarying  quantity,  would 
soon  produce  stagnation  in  the  Sun  himself,  and  both  in  the 
planets  and  in  their  aeriel  oceans,  unless  there  were  exciting  causes 
that  not  only  at  times  aroused  the  planets  to  greater  activity,  but 
influenced  the  Sun  himself  constantly  to  modify,  diversify  and 
vary  his  energy.  These  exciting  causes  are  the  equinoxes  by 
which  a  planet  alternately  renews  its  electric  vigor ;  now  by 
the  North,  and  anon  by  the  South  magnetic  pole  of  the  Sun, 
thus  alternately  imbibing  electric  energies  that,  we  have  good 
reasons  for  believing,  differ  in  many  essential  properties. 

We  are  endeavoring  to  prove  the  reality  of  these  exciting 
causes,  and  hence  are  not  yet  properly  justified  to  make  a  prac- 
tical application  of  the  principles  they  inculcate.  But  suppose 
they  had  been  accepted  as  scientific  truths  at  the  time  this 
cyclone  occurred,  what  would  have  been  the  deductions  drawn 
from  them  for  the  guidance  of  those  on  land  as  well  as  on  water? 
Mercury  passed  his  equinox  on  the  I3th  of  August.  Now,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  that  is  when  the  Earth  is  not  laboring 
under  airy  other  equinoctial  disturbance,  Mercury's  equinox, 
though  it  would  produce  a  minor  disturbance,  such  as  a  gentle 
rainstorm,  yet  it  would  not  give  rise  to  anything  calculated  to 
excite  serious  alarm.  But  the  Earth  was  already  feeling  the 
effects  of  her  own  approaching  equinox ;  and  that  of  Venus  had 
already  advanced  so  far  as  to  culminate  in  a  week.  Besides, 
there  was  Vulcan  hidden  in  the  fiery  beams  of  the  Sun,  giving, 
at  short  intervals,  such  ponderous  strokes  as  Jupiter  might  envy, 
he  too  would  get  in  his  blow  the  day  before  Venus.  Something 
quite  serious  was  therefore  to  be  expected,  and  all  possible  pre- 
cautions would  have  to  be  taken  to  avoid  danger.  Such  would 
have  been  the  deductions  ;  now  what  are  the  facts  ? 

The  Signal  Service,  in  their  Monthly  Weather  Review,  say : 
"The  areas  of  low  barometer  traced  on  Map  No.  2,  were  accom- 
panied with  slight  disturbances,  while  in  the  western  portion  of 
the  United  States,  but  no  marked  change  in  the  weather  occurred 


until  the  nth  of  the  month,  when  an  area  of  low  barometer 
marked  No.  6,  was  first  observed  in  Kansas.*  This  storm 
moved  slowly  to  the  eastward  with  cloudy  weather,  rain  and 
light  to  fresh  winds,  the  winds  increasing  as  the  centre  ap- 
proached the  Atlantic  coast,  and  finally  produced  the  north- 
easterly gale  which  occurred  on  the  middle  Atlantic  and  New 
England  coast,  on  the  I4th  and  I5th." 

In  the  Signal  Office  Report,  1873,  (page  1026)  this  storm  is 
again  referred  to  as  follows  :  "The  depression  passing  through 
Delaware  on  the  nights  of  the  I3th  and  i4th,  was  apparently 
accompanied  by  two,  if  not  by  three  or  four,  smaller  storm  cen- 
tres, which  being  of  the  nature  of  tornadoes,  seem  to  have  done 
considerable  damage,  both  by  wind  and  rain,  in  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania and  Maryland.  The  most  severe  winds  were  reported 
from  the  New  Jersey  coast,"  etc. 

In  the  official  report  at  Boston,  Mass.,  (ibidem,  p.  241)  is  this 
item:  "August  I3th-i5th,  1873 — Storm  very  severe  outside. 
Many  vessels  staid  in  port ;  and  a  few  small  boats  were  washed 
from  their  moorings." 

Report  from  Portland,  Maine,  (ib.  p.  283)  :  "August  I4th  and 
I5th,  1873 — Gale  from  the  northeast  at  this  station,  but  a  heavy 
swell  coming  in  from  sea." 

In  the  disasters  of  shipping  on  the  Great  American  Lakes, 
{Ib.  p.  1044)  we  find:  "August  I3th,  1873 — Barge  J.  D.  Mor- 
ton, during  the  rough  weather  on  Lake  Erie,  broke  loose  from 
tow  of  steam  barge  Sun,  and  went  to  pieces  ;  Scow  Senator 
had  her  foretop  mast  broken  and  lost  canvass  during  a  squall  on 
Lake  Erie."  "Schooner  Caroline  Marsh  lost  8,000  to  10,000 
feet  of  lumber  of  deck  load  by  a  gust  of  wind  while  off  Oswego, 
August  i5th.  Brig  Pilgrim  lost  her  topsail  yards  during  storm 
off  Chicago.  August  i9th — Schooner  J.  Rigley  lost  part  of  her 
canvass  off  Forty-Mile  Point." 

*NOTE. — I  was  present  at  the  birth  of  this  storm  on  Sunday  afternoon, 
August  Qth,  in  Middle  Park,  Colorado,  at  the  western  base  of  the  Snowy- 
Range.  We  were  under  the  western  rim  of  the  cloud  canopy,  and  en- 
countered a  heavy  rain  from  4  P.  M.  to  2  A.  M.  next  morning.  To  the 
west  the  sky  remained  clear,  but  a  fearful  thunder-storm  raged  almost 
above  our  heads,  on  the  Range.  At  Boulder,  situated  forty  miles  from 
the  Range,  at  the  eastern  base  of  the  mountains,  we  found  the  same 
storm  had  come  down  from  the  mountains  and  passed  eastward  on  the 
Plains,  on  the  morning  of  the  loth. 


(97) 

The  last  accident  occurred  on  the  day  of  the  Vulcanian  equi- 
nox, and  this  is  the  last  accident  by  storm  mentioned  during  the 
month.  It  should  be  remarked  here  that  planetary  equinoxes 
produce  high  as  well  as  low  barometers,  as  we  will  show  here- 
after. A  high  barometer  is  a  down-pour  of  air,  as  we  have 
shown  in  Part  I,  from  the  surface  of  the  serial  ocean,  and  a  low 
barometer — a  storm  centre — is  an  upheaval  of  air  from  the  Earth. 
There  cannot  be  an  upheaval  without  a  down-pour,  and  vice 
versa.  It  so  happened  that  the  very  high  barometers  that  had 
successively  come  from  the  Northwest,  but  driven  back  by  the 
Nova  Scotia  Cyclone  three  different  times,  covered  Canada  and 
Ontario  for  nearly  the  balance  of  the  month,  that  is  from  the  I9th 
to  the  zSth.  This  is  why  no  storm  centre  appeared  on  the  Lakes 
during  that  time.  This  point  is  fully  discussed  in  Part  I,  and 
illustrated  by  explanatory  maps,  showing  the  mutual  repulsion 
of  dissimilar  barometers. 

On  the  I9th,  a  Vulcanian,  and  on  the  2oth,  a  Venusian  equi- 
nox occurred.  Our  theory  suggests  a  violent  commotion  on  the 
Lakes  at  this  time  ;  and  most  probably  it  would  have  occurred 
had  not  the  high  barometer  been  arrested  and  driven  back  by  the 
hurricane  approaching  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  because  a  storm 
centre  had  developed  on  the  iSth  in  the  Upper  Missouri,  and"  was 
rapidly  progressing  eastward  when,  on  the  I9th,  it  was  arrested 
in  North-western  Iowa,  and  driven  back  to  its  source  by  the  high 
barometer  in  Canada.*  It  did  not  return  until  the  2oth,  and 
then  was  deflected  by  the  Canadian  high  barometer  northeast- 
ward towards  Hudson's  Bay. 

In  the  Mount  Mitchell,  North  Carolina,  observations,  I  find 
the  following:  {Ibidem  p.  783-84)  "August  iSth,  foggy  with 
heavy  rain  from  i  .35  A.  M.  to  8  P.  M.  ;  light  rain  at  1 1  P.  M.  ; 
heavy  rain  during  a  thunderstorm.  August  ipth,  fair  till  7  A. 
M.  ;  cloudy  till  noon ;  foggy  and  heavy  rain  from  6.38  to  7.56  P. 
M.  August  2oth,  heavy  rain  in  the  morning;  generally  foggy, 
with  very  heavy  rain  till  midnight.  Rainfall  during  the  day  2.08 
inches."  At  Knoxville,  Tenn.,  {Ibidem  p.  910)  August  i8th, 
heavy  rain  with  velocity  of  wind  20  miles  an  hour. 

*NOTE. — This  was  storm  centre  No.  8,  of  Weather  Map  for  August, 
1873.  It  reappeared  as  No.  9,  on  the  2oth.  See  Monthly  Weather  Review 
of  August,  1873,  and  also  Signal  Office  Report,  1873. 


Such  was  the  weather  in  the  Southern  States,  while  a  high 
barometer  rested  on  Northern  New  York  and  Canada,  and  the 
terrific  tropical  cyclone  was  on  its  way  to  the  coast  of  Maine 
and  Nova  Scotia.  The  Crest  of  the  Wave  had  met  this  cyclone, 
as  already  stated  within  the  Tropics,  far  east  of  the  Windward 
Islands,  on  the  i3th,  the  day  of  Mercury's  equinox.  At  the 
time  of  the  Vulcanian  and  Venusian  equinoxes,  it  was  passing 
by  the  usual  parabolic  movement  northwestwardly  between  the 
Bermudas  and  the  coast  of  Georgia.  It  now  acquired  terrific 
energy,  and  swept  the  ocean  clean  in  its  path.  Its  destructive 
career  afterwards  has  already  been  described. 

According  to  principles  shown  in  Part  I,  where  the  attraction 
of  similar  and  repulsion  of  dissimilar  barometers  was  demon- 
strated, the  great  tropical  disturbance  attracted  and  absorbed  in 
its  cyclonal  vortex  all  the  local  minor  disturbances  within  thous- 
ands of  miles  of  its  path.  Hence  the  local  disturbances  of  the 
Southern  States  were  attracted  and  swallowed  up  by  it.  Thus, 
little  by  little,  it  gathered  strength  on  its  way,  and  amassed  and 
organized  as  it  bore  down  upon  the  devoted  and  doomed  coast, 
that  terrible  energy  with  which  it  smote  it  upon  its  arrival.  Ah  ! 
but,  says  the  tyro  in  Science,  that  coast  is  in  possession  of  and  de- 
fended by  a  high  barometer !  At  any  other  point,  and  under  or- 
dinary circumstances,  this  would  be  true,  but  this  is  never  true  of 
Nova  Scotia  when  a  cyclone  is  coming  down  the  Gulf  Stream, 
for  there  is  a  permanent  high  barometer  at  or  near  the  Bermudas, 
and  when  there  is  a  high  barometer  in  Canada,  there  is  not  sea 
room  enough  for  the  cyclone  to  pass  without  a  terrible  and  pro- 
tracted conflict  with  the  opposing  forces. 

It  is  therefore  a  fatal  mistake  to  deduce  from  general  prin- 
ciples that  a  high  barometer  gives  immunity  from  cyclones  in 
Nova  Scotia  or  on  the  coast  of  Florida,  because  it  does  so  at 
points  where  there  is  ample  room  for  the  storm  centre  to 
sweep  around,  as  it  invariably  does,  an  interposed  area  of  high 
barometer. 

As  early  as  the  i8th  of  August,  the  conflict  between  the  trop- 
ical low  and  the  Canadian  high  barometer,  commenced,  and  the 
latter  was  driven  back  northwestwardly  towards  Hudson's  Bay, 
for  reinforcements.  It  reappeared  in  Ontario  on  the  2oth,  and 
renewed  the  conflict,  retarding  the  advance  of  the  tropical  cyclone, 


(99) 

which ,  as  the  map  of  the  Signal  Office  shows,  made  very  little 
progress  during  these  days,  but  the  retardation  was  mutual,  for 
the  high  barometer  also  shows  extremely  tardy  movement  dur- 
ing this  time.  The  latter  is  again  swung  around  in  a  large  circle 
northward  on  the  2ist,  but  returns,  and  by  a  curve  towards  the 
northeast,  clears  the  track  of  the  cyclone  on  the  22d.  But  on 
this  very  day  another  high  barometer  appears  north  of  Lake  Su- 
perior. It  advances  and  encounters  the  tropical  hurricane,  now 
opposite  the  mouth  of  Chesapeake  Bay ;  it  is  overpowered 
and  driven  towards  Labrador.  On  the  25th  it  is  at  a  point  to  the 
west  of  Quebec,  whence  it  is  driven  northwestward  towards  Hud- 
son's Bay ;  but  reappeared  north  of  Lake  Superior  on  the  26th, 
after  the  cyclone  had  left  for  the  coast  of  Scotland.  This  is 
illustrated  by  Maps  Nos.  6  and  7,  Part  I. 

In  the  first  part  of  this  work  we  have  shown  that  the  terrific 
energy  of  cyclones  is  generated  when  a  cyclone  is  compelled  to 
force  a  passage  between  two  high  barometers,  between  which  it 
is  driven  like  a  wedge.  Its  flanks  are  driven  in  upon  its  centre 
by  the  two  flanking  high  barometers.  This  is  the  cause  why  it 
then  acquires  that  terrific  energy  that  appals  and  strikes  with 
consternation  and  amazement  every  beholder.  This  Nova  Sco- 
tia cyclone  and  the  Florida  cyclone  of  October  3(l-6th,  1873,  both 
fearfully  illustrate  this  principle. 

Moreover,  in  Part  I,  we  have  shown,  that  whenever  there  is 
such  a  tremendous  upheaval,  or  rather  sucking  up  of  air  as  there 
is  in  the  bore  of  a  hurricane,  there  must  be  an  equivalent  down- 
pour of  air,  somewhere  within  limits,  to  supply  it.  We  there 
demonstrated  that  a  high  barometer  is  caused  by  a  down-pour 
and  a  low  barometer  by  an  up-pour  of  air.  Hence  a  hurricane 
which  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  point  of  lowest  depres- 
sion within  an  area  of  low  barometer,  requires  not  only  a  neigh- 
boring high  barometer,  but  an  extraordinary  high  one  to  supply 
it  with  air.  This  is  not  only  a  logical  deduction,  but  a  necessity, 
for  which  Nature  has  provided  the  means.  The  motive  power 
putting  the  up-pouring  and  down-pouring  columns  of  air  in  mo- 
tion, we  there  demonstrate  to  be  Electricity.  Hence  a  low 
barometer,  which  is  an  ascending  current  of  Electricity,  will 
like  any  other  electric  current,  evoke  by  Induction  an  elec- 
tric current  flowing  in  the  opposite  direction.  That  is,  a 


(100) 

low  barometer  will  evoke  or  beget  a  high  barometer,  and  vice 
versa. 

We  have  said  that  this  sad  and  terrible  calamity  occurred 
because  of  a  culpable  ignorance  of  the  first  principles  of  Meteo- 
rology, which  prevents  us  from  foreseeing  such  dangers,  and  con- 
sequently of  taking  measures  to  meet  them  and  avoid  the  de- 
struction they  threaten. 

Our  Age  is  laboring  under  the  fatal  delusion  that  all  that  can 
be  known  of  meteorological  causes,  producing  atmospheric 
changes  and  movements,  was  known  to  the  good,  old,  learned, 
and  revered  fathers  of  Philosophy,  whose  crude  notions  we  have 
inherited,  but  not  their  mental  force  and  vigor.  This  delusion 
exacts  us  to  believe  just  as  they  believed ;  to  see  things  just  as 
they  saw  them  ;  to  make  observations  just  as  they  made  them  ;  to 
pursue  investigations  just  as  they  pursued  them  ;  to  think  just  as 
they  thought,  and  under  no  circumstances  whatever  to  arrive  at 
any  conclusion  different  from  theirs.  But  as  they  were  as  blind 
to 'the  Future  as  bats  are  in  daytime,  they  had  to  take  events  as 
they  came  ;  and  we,  as  long  as  we  adhere  to  their  dogmas,  have 
to  do  the  same.  Practically,  this  is  Fatalism  in  its  worst  form  ; 
for  if  Nature  has  deprived  us  both  of  the  means  and  the  faculty 
of  foreknowledge,  then  all  we  can  do  is  to  resign  ourselves  to 
any  fate  that  may  betide. 

When  we  look  at  the  astronomical  condition  existing  at  the 
time  the  Nova  Scotia  cyclone  supervened,  such  an  exposure  of 
life  and  property  as  was  there  and  then,  seems  like  madness  ; 
and  it  seems  not  only  like  tempting,  but  defying  Fate. 

Two  planetary  equinoxes  had  just  occurred  on  two  successive 
days.  An  equinox  of  neither  of  these  planets  ever  occurs  singly 
without  manifesting  more  or  less  violence,  yet  now,  since  they 
had  joined  forces,  what  might  not  have  been  expected?  From 
these  astronomical  events  a  storm  was  impending  and  inevitable  ; 
and  here  was  Nova  Scotia,  situated  right  in  the  gate  of  the 
highway,  not  only  of  all  the  continental  storms  of  North  Amer- 
ica, but  also  of  that  of  the  terrific  tropical  storms  that  originate  in 
the  tropical  seas  east  of  the  Windward  Islands,  and  by  a  parabolic 
movement  westward,  sweep  around  the  area  of  high  barometer 
that  permanently  covers  the  Bermudas  and  Sargasso  Sea.  What- 
ever other  points  enjoyed  immunity  from  such  visitations,  this 


(101) 

coast  enjoyed  none ;  for  here  between  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence and  the  centre  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  is  the  highway  of  all 
North  American  storms  ;  the  gate  through  which  they  must  all 
pass,  even  if  they  have  to  force  a  passage  towards  the  attracting 
permanent  Icelandic  low  barometer  in  the  northeast.  Yet  under 
such  physical  conditions,  and  in  such  a  locality,  we  firid  life  and 
property  as  recklessly  exposed  as  though  hurricanes  and  their 
devastations  were  unknown  phenomena  upon  that  coast. 

That  cyclonal  phenomena  depend  upon  and  are  caused  by 
astronomical  events,  was  then  unknown  to  the  public.  But  a 
cause  with  energy  adequate  to  produce  such  a  terrific  phenom- 
enon as  that  cyclone  was,  cannot  conceal  itself,  nor  be  without  a 
witness  of  its  presence.  The  Canadian  high  barometer — to  those 
who  can  read  correctly  the  meaning  of  the  barometer — adver- 
tised the  fact  that  the  impending  storm  would  not  be  a  continen- 
tal, but  a  tropical  one  ;  and  hence  would  be  somewhat  tardy  in 
its  appearance.  The  Canadian  high  barometer,  by  its  slow 
movement,  and  in  the  direction  it  moved,  also  gave  notice  that  its 
way  to  join  the  Bermuda  high  barometer  was  cut  off  by  the 
cyclone,  and  there  would  be  a  terrific  conflict  when  the  latter 
would  come  between  it  and  the  Bermuda  high  barometer.  Such 
was  the  lesson  inculcated  by  the  barometer.  But  there  wns  still 
another  witness.  Under  such  peculiar  and  intense  electric  con- 
ditions, the  sky  and  the  clouds  assume  a  hue  and  form  so  entirely 
distinct  and  characteristic  as  to  be  unmistakable.  If  only  never 
so  small  a  speck  of  sky  can  be  seen,  it  will  be  perceived  to  be 
intensely  serene  and  extraordinarily  blue  ;  and  the  clouds  by  their 
massiveness,  compactness  and  sharpness  of  outline,  either  against 
the  sky  or  against  their  different  strata,  or  volumes  of  the  same 
stratum,  will  give  unmistakable  evidence  not  only  of  the  imminence 
but  of  the  energy  of  the  approaching  danger.  Even  when  astronom- 
ical events  have  occurred,  or  are  about  occurring,  that  will  bring 
on  paroxysms,  the  interpretation  of  barometrical- readings,  and 
especially  of  what  is  written  on  the  clouds  and  sky,  cannot  be 
dispensed  with  ;  for  they  inform  us  of  the  development  and  pro- 
gress of  the  impending  phenomenon,  its  locality,  what  direction 
it  is  taking,  and  the  very  moment  it  may  be  expected  to  be  upon 
us  if  we  are  in  its  path. 

We  find  the  material  we  have  on  hand  too  vast  to  be  embod- 


(102) 


ied  in  these  pages,  and  hence  will  use  only  so  much  as  is- 
necessary  to  establish  the  Planetary  Equinoctial  Theory  beyond 
gainsaying.  Before  proceeding  to  do  so,  however,  we  will  re- 
mark that,  so  far  we  have  only  examined  and  mainly  presented 
European  phenomena,  but  now  we  Will  give  attention  to  Amer- 
ican ones,  since  they  serve  our  purpose  better  for  illustration  than 
European  do. 

As  before  remarked,  European  storms  have  generally  to  go  too 
far  from  home  before  they  fall  under  observation,  to  coincide 
sharply  with  the  date  of  their  exciting  causes.  The  same  remark 
applies  to  tropical  hurricanes,  both  American  and  Asiatic.  They 
too,  originate  out  on  the  ocean,  at  far  distant  points  not  fre- 
quented by  ships ;  and  hence  may  exist  for  a  week  or  ten  days 
before  they  strike  a  neighboring  coast,  or  fall  under  observation 
of  a  passing  ship.  Hence  with  them  also  no  sharp  coincidence 
will  be  found  when  the  date  of  their  appearance  is  compared 
with  th'e  date  of  the  exciting  planetary  equinox.  But  with  the 
continental  storms  of  America  it  is  otherwise.  They  are  so  near 
at  ho,me  that  they  announce  themselves  generally  a  day  or  so  in 
advance  of  their  planetary  equinox.  Generally  they  originate  in 
Western  Manitoba  (pronounced  Man-ee-to-baw),  where  there  is 
practically  a  low  barometer  all  Summer.  They  arrive  at  the 
Great  Lakes  and  in  the  trough  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  about 
the  date  of  their  exciting  planetary  equinox  ;  and  on  the  Atlan- 
tic coast  a  day  or  two  later.  In  applying  the  principle  of  the 
Planetary  Equinoctial  Theory  to  Southern  storms,  a  distinction 
must  be  made  between  the  tropical  hurricanes  that  come  from 
the  ocean  east  of  the  Windward  Islands,  and  those  that  originate 
in  the  Gulf  and  in  the  western  part  of  the  Caribbean  Sea.  The 
former  will  almost  uniformly  be  found  to  be  from  eight  to  ten 
days  tardy ;  while  the  latter  will  be  at  most  from  one  to  two 
days  only,  and  often  sharply  up,  if  not  ahead  of  time,  like  their 
brothers  of  the  northwest  are. 

The  general  principle  of  our  theory  must  already  be  sufficiently 
understood  so  as  to  need  no  further  illustration.  As  we  find  it 
more  convenient  to  do  at  once  what  has  to  be  done,  at  any  rate 
before  the  verification  and  demonstration  is  complete,  so  we  will 
proceed  and  demonstrate  that  when  the  Earth  is  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  electric  excitement  produced  by  either  its  own  equi- 


nox  or  that  of  another  planet,  no  violent  paroxysms  ensue,  un- 
less by  the  intervention  of  the  equinox  of  a  second  planet.  For 
instance,  Jupiter  at  his  equinoxes  imposes  an  intensely  high 
electric  condition  upon  the  Earth  for  a  period  of  three  years,  yet 
violent  paroxysms  only  occur  when  another  planetary  equinox 
supervenes. 

It  is  at  the  Terrestrial  equinoxes,  during  a  Jovial  term,  that 
the  most  terrible  earthquakes  and  the  most  destructive  cyclones 
occur.  All  the  Venusian  equinoxes  during  that  period  produce 
phenomena  of  unusual  energy  and  violence.  A  Mercurial  equi- 
nox that  ordinarily  passes  with  phenomena  so  mild  as  scarcely 
to  attract  attention,  now  gives  rise  to  phenomena  of  a  very  vio- 
lent character.  But  especially  is  this  the  case  with  Vulcan  ; 
strong  at  all  times,  his  energy  then  is  truly  terrific,  as  we  will  show 
at  the  proper  time.  As  it  is  during  a  Jovial  period,  so  it  is  dur- 
ing a  Telluric  and  Venusian.  The  violent  paroxysms  are  always 
brought  about  by  the  supervention  of  the  equinoxes  of  other 
planets  with  periods  so  short  that  almost  the  paroxysm  can  be 
foretold  to  the  very  day.  Mercurial  and  Vulcanian  phenomena, 
especially  the  latter,  are  of  this  character.  When  we  discuss 
Vulcanian  phenomena,  we  will  demonstrate  that  this  especially 
is  the  case  when  only  that  planet  and  the  Earth  are  concerned  ia 
the  phenomena ;  and  in  some  cases  the  phenomena  seem  to  be 
purely  Vulcanian  when  no  other  disturbing  cause,  in  our  present 
state  of  knowledge,  can  be  assigned  than  that  of  this  planet. 

We  will  now  take  up  the  Venusian  period  and  verify  the  prin- 
ciples we  have  laid  down,  namely,  that  the  most  violent  phenom- 
ena during  that  period,  nearly  always  occur  at  or  near  the  date 
of  a  Mercurial  or  Vulcanian  equinox.  Our  demonstration  will 
make  evident,  what  however  might  have  been  inferred,  that  the 
crisis  in  many  cases  is  precipitated  and  occurs  a  day  or  two  be- 
fore the  exciting  equinox.  The  Vulcanian  equinox  of  June  iyth, 
1875,  just  occurred  at  this  writing,  is  a  case  in  point.  The  un- 
usual and  extraordinary  rainfalls  in  California,  and  the  tornado 
at  Quincy,  Illinois,  and  other  points  West,  occurred  on  the  i5th 
of  June,  two  days  before  the  equinox.  The  terrible  rain  and 
wind  storm,  accompanied  by  a  slight  earthquake  here,  and  quite 
a  severe  one  in  Indiana  and  Ohio,  came  on  the  day  of  the 
equinox. 


GCVERAL  PRINCIPLES  VERIFIED. 

On  the  23d  of  December,  1853,  *ne  nne  new  steamship  San 
Prancisco,  sailed  from  New  York  with  a  regiment  of  United 
States  troops  on  board,  bound  around  Cape  Horn  for  California. 
On  the  24th  she  encountered  a  hurricane  on  the  Gulf  Stream, 
that  in  a  few  moments  made  a  complete  wreck  of  the  ship.  Her 
decks  were  swept,  and  by  a  single  blow  of  those  terrible  seas 
that  storms  raise  there,  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  souls,  offi- 
cers and  soldiers,  were  washed  overboard  and  drowned.  She 
was  seen  on  the  25th  by  one  vessel,  and  on  the  26th  by  another, 
but  neither,  in  the  tempestuous  state  of  the  weather,  could  ren- 
der her  any  assistance. 

:  Capt.  Linnell,  of  the  Eagle  Wing,  from  Boston  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, encountered  this  same  hurricane  on  the  24th.  An  abstract 
of  his  log  reads  as  follows:  "December  24th,  1853,  first  part 
threatening  weather  ;  shortened  sail ;  at  4  P.  M.  close-reefed  the 
top  sails,  and  furled  the  courses  ;  at  8  P.  M.  took  in  fore  and 
mizzen-top  sails  ;  hove  to  under  closed  reefed  main  topsail  and 
spencer,  the  ship  lying  with  her  lee  rail  under  water,  nearly  on 
her  beams  ends  ;  at  1.30  A.  M.,  25th,  the  fore  and  main  top  gal- 
lant masts  went  over  the  side,  it  blowing  a  perfect  hurricane  ;  at 
8  A.  M.  it  moderated ;  a  sea  took  away  jib-boom  and  bow-sprit 
cap.  In  my  thirty  years  experience  at  sea,  I  have  never  seen  a 
typhoon  or  hurricane  so  severe.  Lost  two  men  overboard,  saved 
one ;  stove  sky-light,  broke  barometer,  etc." 

This  evidently  was  a  Gulf  cyclone,  and  had  originated  perhaps 
three  or  four  days  before  it  encountered  the  doomed  ship.  The 
course  that  storms  originating  in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  will  take 
northeastward,  toward  the  Icelandic  low  barometer,  depends 
upon  the  position  of  the  Bermuda,  or  more  properly,  Sargasso 
Sea  permanent  high  barometer.  Besides  being  pushed  North, 
and  dragged  South  by  the  advance  or  retreat  of  the  Sun,  it  con- 
stantly oscillates  like  a  slow  pendulum,  swinging  East  until  it 
covers  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  Africa,  as  far  East  as  the 
Nile,  when  it  slowly  returns,  and  in  its  western  oscillation,  cov- 
ers the  Gulf  and  the  Gulf  States  as  far  as  the  Rio  Grande. 
When  it  is  on  its  extreme  eastern  oscillation,  storms  originating 
on  the  Gulf  or  in  the  Gulf  States,  sweep  northeastward  along  the 
Gulf  Stream.  When  it  is  in  medium  position,  such  storms  are 


repulsed  and  driven  upon  the  continent,  and  sweep  down  along 
the  sea  board  ;  but  when  it  is  on  a  western  swing,  these  storms 
strike  the  coast  of  Texas,  and  then  proceed  northeastward, 
by  the  Great  Lakes,  taking  Texas,  Western  Louisiana,  Arkansas, 
Missouri,  etc.,  in  their  route.*  In  the  case  of  the  storm  that 
struck  the  San  Francisco,  the  high  barometer  must  have  been 
on  its  eastern  swing  ;  hence  the  storm  pursued  its  natural  course,  the 
Gulf  Stream  northeastward.  Had  the  Signal  Service  then  been 
established,  it  no  doubt  would  have  detected  this  storm  in  the 
Gulf  or  on  the  southern  coast  of  Texas,  at  or  before  the  depart- 
ure of  the  ill-fated  steamer,  and  have  avoided  the  disaster.  The 
astronomical  con'ditions  were  extremely  threatening  at  this  period, 
and  if  known,  would  have  shown  that  it  would  be  the  height  of 
imprudence  to  venture  out  upon  the  Gulf  stream  at  the  time  the 
ship  left  port. 

Venus  had  passed  her  equinox  nine  days  before,  namely,  on 
the  I2th  of  December.  Vulcan — the  Terrible — passed  his  equi- 
nox on  the  2ist,  the  day  the  steamer  left;  and  Mercury  would 
make  his  equinox  on  the  26th,  or  in  five  days.  Under  such  con- 
ditions it  would  have  been  a  miracle  if  a  cyclone  had  not  passed 
down  the  Gulf  stream  within  five  or  six  days  from  the  time  the 
steamer  left. 

Though  out  of  place  here,  because  Venus  was  not  concerned 
in  it,  to  enforce  the  lesson  inculcated  with  such  awful  sanction 
by  this  terrible  disaster,  we  cannot  refrain  from  citing  another  to 
the  same  import,  namely,  that  it  is  extremely  hazardous  to  ven- 
ture out  upon  the  Gulf  stream,  when  Vulcan  has  just  passed,  or 
is  about  to  pass  an  equinox,  while  the  excitement  of  a  Telluric 
or  Venusian  equinox  is  impending.  The  case  is  that  of  the 
steamer  President,  which  left  the  port  of  New  York  on  March 
nth,  1841  ;  encountered  the  terrific  cyclone  of  the  I3th,  and  was 
never  heard  of  afterwards.  She  had  on  board  a  full  load  of 
passengers,  many  of  high  rank,  wealth  and  influence,  both  Amer- 
ican and  foreigners.  Amongst  the  latter  was  Tyrone  Power,  the 
comedian ;  a  son  of  the  Duke  of  Richmond,  etc.  This  vessel 
left  port  while  both  a  Telluric  and  Mercurial  equinox  was  im- 

*NOTE. — My  friend,  the  Hon.  Thomas  Allen,  assures  me  that  these 
southwest  hurricanes  frequently  do  immense  damage  to  his  railroads  in 
Arkansas  and  Southern  Missouri. 


(io6) 

pending,  and  both  to  occur  on  the  same  clay,  in  ten  days.     Vul- 
can had  passed   his   equinox   o\\   the   Sth,  three  days  before,   not 
giving  time  enough  for  the  fierce  storms  this  planet  always  gen- 
erates ivhen  one  of  his  equinoxes  occurs  under  such  conditions. 
This  again  was  a  southern  storm   from  the  Gulf,  and  must  have 
been  pursuing  its   destructive   career   fully  five  if  not  more  days 
before  it  struck  the  doomed  vessel  with  its  living  freight,  and 
"Sent  it  to  ocean's  depths  with  bubbling  groan, 
Without  a  grave,  unknelled,  uncoffined  and  unknown." 

A  furious  hurricane  raged  on  the  Great  Lakes  and  in  Canada, 
on  the  9th  and  loth  of  October,  1844.  Many  vessels  were 
wrecked  and  many  houses  blown  down.  Telluric  equinox  Sep. 
2 1 st.  Venusian  September  23d,  and  Vulcanian  October  9th, 
day  of  the  commencement  of  hurricane. 

In  an  English  list  of  wrecks  we  find :  "Screw-steamer  Royal 
Charier  totally  wrecked  off  Moelfra,  on  the  Anglesea  coast ; 
446  lives  lost.  The  vessel  contained  gold  amounting  invalufe  to 
between  £700,000  and  £800,000,  on  night  of  October  25th  and 
26th,  1859."  As  the  record  did  not  state  whether  the  disaster 
was  caused  by  a  storm,  or.  was  the  result  of  accident,  on  refer- 
ring to  a  list  of  storms  we  found  :  "Dreadful  storm  on  night  of 
October  25th  and  26th,  1859  ;  the  Royal  Charter  totally  lost, 
and  many  other  vessels  ;  another  terrible  storm  on  October  3ist, 
and  November  ist,  1859."  As  *ne  major  Jovial  equinox  occurred 
early  in  December,  1859,  tne  Earth  was  hence  laboring  under  its 
perturbation.  A  Venusian  equinox  occurred  October  iSth,  1859, 
or  seven  days  before  the  first  storm.  A  Vulcanian  equinox  oc- 
curred on  October  3ist,  or  six  days  after  the  first  storm,  and  on 
the  very  day  of  the  last  storm.  The  combination  hence  was, 
Jovial,  Venusian  and  Vulcanian.  It  may  here  be  stated  that 
Mercury  passed  his  equinox  November  2oth,  1859.  On  the  Eng- 
lish list  of  wrecks  I  find  :  "Mail  steamer  Indian  wrecked  in  a 
storm  off  the  coast  of  New  Foundland  ;  out  of  116,  27  lives  lost, 
November  2ist,  1859,"  that  is  the  day  after  the  equinox.  The 
combination  here  was  Jovial,  Mercurial  and  Vulcanian,  since 
Vulcan  again  passed  an  equinox  on  the  230!  of  November.  On 
a  skeleton  list  of  American  storms,  I  find,  "Severe  storms  on 
the  Lakes,  November  25th,  1859,"  no  other  particulars  given. 

Prof.  Bache,  Hare  and  Beck  described  a  tornado  that  occurred 


on  June  1961,  1835,  in  New  Jersey,  traveling  northeastward 
through  New  Brunswick,  Piscataway,  and  Perth  Amboy,  to  the 
ocean.  It  had  at  times  a  double  cone,  one  inverted  with  base  on 
the  cloud,  and  the  other  resting  upon  the  Earth.  Sometimes  it 
was  only  a  cone  or  funnel  depending  from  the  clouds,  changing 
its  position  rapidly.  It  prostrated  everything  in  its  path,  trees, 
fences,  buildings,  etc.,  and  drank  up  the  Raritan  river  to  its  bed. 
Tornadoes  are  also  recorded  on  this  day  at  Kinderhook,  White 
Plains,  etc.,  N.  Y.  This  tornado  occurred  about  six  months 
before  the  major  Jovial  equinox  which  occurred  about  January 
ist,  1836 ;  and  consequently  it  was  partially  owing  to  the  Jovial 
perturbation.  An  equinox  of  Venus  occurred  June  2Sth,  or  nine 
days  after  the  tornado,  and  both  a  Mercurial  and  a  Vulcanian 
equinox  had  occurred  on  June  I2th,  or  seven  days  prior  to  the 
tornado. 

On  3oth  of  April,  1852,  occurred  a  most  remarkable  tornado 
at  New  Harmony,  described  by  Chappelsmith.  It  was  traced 
from  near  Paducah,  Kentucky,  northeast  to  New  Harmony,  and 
thence  200  miles  east  to  Georgetown,  Kentucky.  It  occurred  at 
4.30  P.  M.  This  is  always  the  most  critical  time  of  day,  when 
if  there  be  any  cyclonic  tendency,  it  will  surely  develope  either 
into  tornadoes  or  into  violent  wind  and  hail  storms.  The  same 
hour  in  the  morning  is  also  quite  critical,  but  less  dangerous.  If 
attention  is  directed  to  the  time  of  day  that  tornadoes  and  hail- 
storms take  place  they  will  almost  invariably  be  found  to  occur 
in  the  afternoon,  generally  between  three  and  five  o'clock. 
Sometimes  they  occur  later  in  the  day,  but  seldom  earlier.  The 
reason  for  this  is  obvious.  The  storm  centre  always  is  the  low- 
est point  of  an  area  of  low  barometer  moving  forward  over  the 
surface  of  the  Earth.  Now,  since  there  are  two  barometrical 
depressions  daily  ;  one,  the  lesser,  between  three  and  four  A.M., 
and  the  other,  the  greater,  between  the  same  hours  in  the  after- 
noon, hence,  whenever  and  wherever  the  low  barometer  of  the 
moving  storm  centre  coincides  with  either  daily  depression,  there 
is  danger  that  either  a  tornado  or  violent  wind  and"  hail  storm 
may  burst  upon  the  locality  unfortunately  so  situated.  The  day 
that  the  tornado  occurred  was  cloudy  and  threatening,  and  the 
barometer  quite  low.  It  is  remarkable  that  at  four  or  five  miles 
distant  no  wind  nor  any  other  unusual  agitation  was  observed^ 


(loS) 

Near  New  Harmony  the  track  of  fallen  trees  was  half  a  mile  in 
width,  and  its  forward  movement  estimated  at  the  rate  of  sixty 
miles  an  hour.  The  destruction  was  the  work  of  a  moment,  and 
intense  electric  energy  was  apparent.  One  observer  said,  "the 
cloud  appeared  on  fire  at  the  bottom  like  a  large  pile  of  burning 
brush."  Others  say  it  was  "a  cloud  with  green  and  red  flame," 
and  others  said  it  was  green  and  blue. 

The  following  were  the  impending  planetary  equinoxes  :  Ve- 
nus May  3oth ;  Mercury  April  2ist,  or  nine  days  before  the  tor- 
nado ;  Vulcan  May  ist,  or  the  day  after  it. 

The  following,  though  containing  nothing  extraordinary,  will 
be  read  with  interest  since  it  is  the  first  case  wherein  our  theory 
is  brought  to  the  test  of  the  actual  observations  of  the  Signal 
Service. 

In  November  and  the  early  part  of  December,  1870,  the  astro- 
nomical condition  was  as  follows  :  Equinox  of  Mercury  occur- 
red Nov.  4th  ;  Vulcan  Nov.  loth  ;  Venus  Nov.  I4th  ;  and  Vulcan 
again  Dec.  3d.  The  October  equinox  of  Vulcan,  namely,  on 
the  iSth,  had  been  signalized  by  tornadoes  ;  namely,  on  the  I5th 
at  Milwaukee,  and  on  the  same  day  terrific  tornadoes  occurred 
in  southern  Ohio  and  northern  Kentucky.  On  the  afternoon  of 
October  2ist,  a  fearful  tornado  struck  Belleville,  Richland  Co., 
Ohio.  But  we  intend  to  confine  our  remarks  to  the  earliest  ob- 
servations of  the  Signal  Service,  which  about  the  first  of  Nov- 
ember established  its  stations  in  the  West. 

The  equinox  of  Vulcan  on  the  loth  of  November,  would 
make  us  anticipate  a  disturbance  under  the  conditions  so  near  to 
Venus,  and  so  soon  after  Mercury,  a  day  or  so  in  advance  of  his 
time.  The  first  dispatch  sent  from  the  office  at  Chicago,  is 
dated  at  noon  on  Nov.  8th,  and  was  sent  by  Gen'l  Myer,  Chief 
Signal  OIHccr,  and  directed  to  be  bulletined  by  the  lake  observ- 
ers at  once.  It  was  as  follows  :  "  High  winds  all  day  yesterday 
at  Cheyenne  and  Omaha  ;  a  very  high  wind  at  Omaha  this  morn- 
ing ;  barometer  falling,  with  high  wind  at  Chicago,  Milwaukee, 
etc.  ;  high  winds  probably  along  all  the  lakes."  The  next 
morning  reports  showed  that,  as  anticipated,  high  winds  had 
fallen  on  all  the  lakes. 

The  next  dispatch  was  sent  Nov.  9th,  at  n  A.  M.,  and  direct- 
ed 'to  be  bulletined  on  the  lower  lakes,  at  New  York,  and  at 


(109) 

Boston  :  "  Low  barometer,  moving  eastward  ;  high  winds  along 
the  lakes,  and  probably  will  be  along  New  York  and  eastern 
coast."  This  again  was  verified.  f 

On  the  1 9th,  another  disturbance  appeared  in  the  northwest, 
and  signals  were  ordered  to  be  hoisted,  but  it  seems  it  passed 
northward  of  the  lakes,  manifesting  itself  feebly  only  at  Duluth 
and  Detroit.  Nothing  serious  was  now  to  be  expected  until  the 
recurrence  of  a  Vulcanian  equinox  on  Dec.  ^d.  Here  is  what  a 
paper  published  in  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Chief  Signal  Officer 
for  1871,  says  :  "  The  first  considerable  storm  that  swept  over  the 
lake  region  after  the  commencement  of  these  (Chicago)  reports, 
was  that  of  December  6th-yth,  1870."  (p.  168.)  The  origin 
and  progress  of  this  storm  is  minutely  described  and  illustrated 
by  twelve  maps,  but  we  have  not  room  for  details.  The  follow- 
ing must  suffice  : 

*'  Dec.  3d,  4  A.  M.,  the  following  dispatch  was  sent :  Barom- 
eter rapidly  falling  at  Omaha,  St.  Paul  and  Duluth ;  heavy 
weather  probably  on  the  lakes.  It  was  received  at  Duluth,  on 
the  western  extremity  of  Lake  Superior,  on  the  day  of  its  date, 
and  within  one  hour  afterward  the  storm  set  in  with  great  vio- 
lence. Wind  from  the  northeast,  and  the  lake  very  rough." 

As  the  high  barometer  to  the  east  and  the  southeast,  shown  on 
the  maps,  repelled  the  low  barometer  or  storm  centre,  it  re- 
mained almost  stationary  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  until  the  high 
barometer  fell  back  slowly  on  the  5th.  At  10  A.  M.  this  day, 
the  following  dispatch  was  sent  to  all  the  stations  on  the  lower 
lakes  :  "  Very  low  barometer,  with  rain  at  Milwaukee  and  Chi- 
cago, progressing  eastward."  "  The  Evening  News,  published 
at  Cleveland,  Ohio,  published  this  dispatch,  and  the  Ledger, 
next  morning  said,  'At  3.20  P.  M.,  the  storm  arrived,  falling  at 
once  upon  the  city  in  the  utmost  fury,  drenching  the  streets  with 
floods  of  water,  wrenching  off  signs,  knocking  down  chimneys, 
and  causing  the  wildest  consternation  among  pedestrians,  who 
were  caught  without  a  moment's  warning  in  a  terrific  gale. — 
(ib.  page  170.) 

"On  the  6th,"  we  are  told,  "the  very  low  barometer  still  lin- 
gered on  Lake  Ontario,  where  rain  continued  to  fall,  which  ex- 
tended south  to  Pittsburgh,"  supplemented  with  this  speculation  : 
"Perhaps  this  retardation  of  the  storm  may  have  been  occasioned 


(no) 

by  the  highlands  of  the  Adirondacks,  and  those  of  the  Eastern 
States."  Why  then  do  not  these  mountains  retard  every  storm  ? 
Or,  are  they  cause  only  at  times,  and  no  cause  at  other  times? 
We  would  also  like  to  have  the  "highlands"  pointed  out  to  us 
that  checked  the  progress  of  this  low  barometer  down  the  valley 
of  the  Missouri,  kept  it  stationary  for  nearly  two  days  at  Omaha, 
then  suddenly  deflected  it  on  the  western  point  of  Lake  Superior, 
and  afterwards  retarded  its  progress  over  the  upper  Lakes. 
When  that  is  done  we  will  be  able  to  appreciate  the  theory  that 
the  Adirondacks,  the  Green,  and  the  White  Mountains  retarded 
its  progress  and  made  it  linger  so  long  on  Lake  Ontario.  We 
have  given  as  an  explanation  of  the  retarding  and  deflecting  phe- 
nomena of  storms,  the  mutual  repulsion  of  high  and  low  barome- 
ters ;  and  until  a  case  is  shown  where  a  low  barometer  has  pushed 
right  into  the  centre  of  a  high  barometer,  or  vice  versa,  or  that 
either  has  kept  on  its  course  indifferent  to,  or  regardless  of  the 
presence  of  the  other,  we  shall  adhere  to  that  explanation.  It 
is  a  mere  question  of  fact,  and  a  five  minutes  examination  will 
settle  it.  .  The  maps  themselves,  illustrating  this  storm,  establish 
the  correctness  of  our  explanation  beyond  gainsaying. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  earthquake  testimony  in  relation  to 
the  Jovial  Cycle,  we  stated  that  we  would  produce  additional 
testimony  on  that  point,  when  we  came  to  verify  the  Venusian 
Cycle.  We  will  now  redeem  that  pledge  ;  not  as  cumulative 
proof  of  the  reality  of  that  Cycle,  for  that  we  consider  incon- 
testible,  but  for  the  purpose  of  demonstrating  how  phenomena 
crowd,  whenever  cycles  intersect  each  other. 

The  Jovial  Cycle  culminated  as  we  have  seen  at  the  Autumnal 
Equinox  of  the  year  1871,  the  phenomena  of  which  have  already 
been  given.  We  will  now  call  attention  to  the  phenomena  of 
the  Vernal  Equinox  of  that  year ;  when  we  have  superimposed 
upon  the  Jovial  perturbation  the  following  accessory  disturban- 
ces, namely,  that  of  the  Earth's  equinox  on  the  2ist  of  March, 
that  of  Venus  on  March  5th,  that  of  Mercury,  March  i6th,  and 
those  of  Vulcan  February  loth  and  March  5th. 

Auroras  were  observed  from  the  9th  of  February  to  the  end 
of  the  month,  on  every  day  excepting  on  I4th  and  25th.  Those 
of  the  loth,  nth  and  izth  very  brilliant;  those  of  the  loth 
and  nth  extraordinarily  so.  Magnetic,  that  is,  electric  dis- 


(HI) 

turbances,  were  observed  in  Europe  on  the  I2th,  and  an 
aurora  was  seen  by  daylight  in  England  on  that  day.  Electric 
disturbances  were  observed  in  the  Southern  Hemisphere  on  Feb- 
ruary 4th,  5th,  9th,  i3th,  I4th,  and  i5th.  February  9th, — one 
day  before  Vulcan's  equinox, — an  earthquake  occurred  at  Illapel, 
Chili,  simultaneous  with  an  extraordinary  rain,  causing  destruc- 
tive freshests  from  the  Andes.  On  the  icth,  tremendous  rains  in 
the  Andes  of  Peru,  causing  destructive  floods.  February  nth — 
A  slight  shock  of  an  earthquake  at  Valparaiso,  Chili,  simultan- 
eous with  another  tremendous  rain  in  the  mountains,  causing 
disastrous  freshets.  In  Hayti,  on  the  lyth  and  I9th,  severe 
shocks  of  an  earthquake  were  felt.  Severe  earthquakes  were 
felt  on  the  iSth  in  Burmah,  and  westward  as  far  as  Calcutta. 
On  the  I9th,  a  terrific  earthquake  occurred  in  the  Hawaian  Is- 
lands. Earthquakes  were  also  felt  in  Peru  on  the  22d  and  23d, 
and  on  25th  a  very  severe  one  in  Chili.  On  the  25th,  also  a  vio- 
lent earthquake  occurred  in  Comiguin,  one  of  the  Philippine 
Islands,  which  continued  to  May  ist,  when  it  culminated  in  a 
terrible  disaster*  at  the  Mercurial  equinox. 

March  2d — An  earthquake  in  Nevada  ;  same  day  detonations 
commenced  in  the  volcano  Roeang,  Celebes  ;  on  the  5th,  at  7 
P.  M.,  a  frightful  eruption  took  place;  three  minutes  later  a 
wave  reached  the  shore  of  Tagoeland,  one  mile  distant,  destroy- 
ing three  villages  and  drowning  41 6  persons.  The  eruption  con- 
tinued till  the  I4th,  when  the  heaviest  and  final  eruption  took 
place.  March  6th — A  severe  earthquake  at  Bogota,  commenc- 
ing on  the  4th. 

March  5th — Earthquakes  at  Arequipa,  Jacua,  and  other  places 
in  Peru,  said  to  have  been  preceded  by  an  electric  storm,  and 
-accompanied  with  tremendous  rains,  followed  by  terrible  floods. 
Near  Lima,  many  lives  were  lost,  plantations  wasted,  and  rail- 
roads washed  away.  March  6th — A  most  remarkable  electric 
storm  at  Tacua,  Peru  ;  for  hours  the  snowy  peak  of  Tacora 
seemed  the  centre  of  a  conflagration  of  lightning  and  terrific  thun- 

*NOTE. — The  following  is  the  newspaper  account  of  this  catastrophe  : 
A  terrible  earthquake  in  the  Philippine  Islands.  On  the  island  of  Comi- 
guin, after  being  terribly  shaken  since  February,  and  especially  during 
March,  a  plain  fell  in  on  the  ist  of  May,  1,500  feet  in  diameter,  engulph- 
ing  many  houses,  cattle,  and  over  150  persons.  The  gulf  became  a  cra- 
ter, and  is  still  casting  up  ashes,  stones,  smoke,  etc. 


(112) 

der,  that  shook  the  mountain  and  the  country  for  miles  around. 
On  the  6th,  an  earthquake  was  also  felt  in  New  Hampshire. 

March  8th — The  terrific  tornado  of  East  St.  Louis  occurred, 
fully  described  and  discussed  in  Part  I.  March  1 7th — Another 
remarkable  electric  storm  in  Peru,  and  very  brilliant  auroras 
seen  in  both  hemispheres.  In  England  an  earthquake  and  re- 
markable earth  currents  in  Atlantic  cables.  In  Scotland,  the 
earth  currents  were  immediately  followed  with  a  remarkable  rise 
in  temperature,  from  17  °  to  92  °  in  fifteen  hours.  On  the  2oth, 
another  shock  of  an  earthquake  occurred  in  England. 

As  a  Jovial  equinox  was  impending,  it  could  be  anticipated 
that  the  phenomena  attending  the  June,  1871,  equinox  of  Venus, 
would  not  only  be  frequent,  but  that  they  would  exhibit  extra- 
ordinary energy.  The  disposition  of  the  equinoxes  not  only 
ensured  frequent  paroxysms,  but  a  protracted  period  of  them. 
The  following  was  their  astronomical  arrangement:  (i)  An 
approaching  Jovial  equinox,  occurring  September  25th.  (2) 
Vulcanian  equinoxes,  occurring  June  5th  and  28th.  (3)  A 
Mercurial  equinox,  June  I2th;  and,  (4)  the  Venusian,  on  June 
25th.  The  following  is  an  abstract  of  my  phenomenal  record 
for  the  month  of  June,  1871  : 

June  i,  a  terrific  rain  fell  in  the  great  rainless  desert  of  Ata- 
cama,  Chili,  on  May  3ist  and  June  ist. 

June  2d — Tremendous  thunderstorm  at  this  point  (St.  Louis) 
and  vicinity  this  afternoon  ;  at  the  same  time  a  terrific  tornado 
occurred  in  Macon  county,  Ills.*  5th— A  heavy  thunder  and 
rain  storm,  coming  from  the  western  part  of  the  Gulf,  passed 
over  the  Indian  Territory,  Missouri,  etc.,  towards  the  Lakes, 
followed  by  showery  weather  for  three  or  four  days.  8th — Earth- 
quake at  Waggawagga,  Australia.  loth — A  brilliant  aurora 
seen  by  me  at  Golden,  Colorado,  i  ith— Another  heavy  thunder 
and  rainstorm  from  the  Gulf  passed  northeastward  over  Arkan- 
sas, Missouri  and  Illinois,  to  the  Lakes.  I2th— A  terrific  hurri- 
can  at  Galveston,  Texas.  1 6th— An  awful  tornado  at  Eldorado, 
Kansas,  the  whole  town  was  destroyed  ;  on  the  same  day  a  ter- 
rific hurricane  in  Louisiana.  1 7th— Witnessed  a  most  brilliant 
aurora  at  Denver,  Colorado.  1 8th— Encountered  an  intensely 


*NOTE.— This  tornado  is  fully  described  in  Part  I. 


hot  simoon  on  the  Plains,  between  Wallace  and  Bosland.  On 
the  i  yth  and  iSth — a  most  remarkable  magnetic  disturbance  was 
observed  at  the  Observatory  of  Havana,  Cuba,  commencing  at 
10  P.  M.,  and  continued  24  hours.  iSth — The  following  phe- 
nomena are  recorded :  Violent  tornadoes  at  several  points  in 
Wisconsin  ;  a  terrific  tornado  at  Scranton,  Green  Co.,  Iowa,  de- 
molishing houses,  and  carrying  dwellings  ten  rods  and  killing  the 
inmates ;  a  terrible  tornado  at  Westerville,  Iowa.  An  awful 
cyclone  several  miles  east  of  Springfield,  Illinois,  accompanied 
by  a  terrible  roar  and  a  bluish  flame  reaching  from  the  Earth  to 
the  clouds  ;  it  pulled  up  trees,  and  gathered  up  fences  and  every- 
thing in  its  path,  and  whirled  them  in  the  air.  A  very  brilliant 
aurora  observed  in  Europe,  accompanied  by  violent  magnetic 
disturbances,  and  synchronous  with  immense  storms  of  rain  in 
England,  France,  etc.  Earthquake  in  New  Jersey  and  on  Staten 
and  Long  Islands.  In  New  Jersey  the  earth  opened  and  swal- 
lowed up  trees  ;  a  gulf  was  sprung  in  the  canal,  through  which 
all  the  water  disappeared :  it  was  found  a  tedious,  difficult  and 
costly  job  to  fill  up  and  close  the  rent.  I9th — Terrific  thunder 
and  rainstorm,  flooding  the  country  in  eastern  Kansas  and  Mis- 
souri ;  it  was  accompanied  by  a  heavy  gale.  Same  day  an  earth- 
quake in  Brooklyn,  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  at  10  P.  M., 
accompanied  by  a  rumbling  sound.  29th — Earthquakes  in  the 
island  of  Madeira,  in  Chili,  and  in  Peru  ;  very  violent  at  Tacua. 
2ist — An  earthquake  at  Calistoga,  California;  and  a  cyclone  at 
Surat,  India,  devastating  the  cotton  crop.  26th — Earthquake  at 
Chiriqui,  Central  America.  28th — A  violent  earthquake  at  To- 
cray,  Peru  ;  same  day  occurred  the  remarkable  tornado  in  Ulster 
County,  New  York,  described  in  Part  I.  On  the  night  of  27th- 
28th — A  most  remarkable  storm  on  Lake  Superior,  followed  by 
a  destructive  tidal  wave  at  Duluth.  The  storm  must  have  been 
accompanied  by  a  tremendous  water-spout.  It  is  described  as 
follows  :  "An  awful  rainstorm,  with  vivid  lightning  but  very 
little  thunder,  was  over  the  Lake  all  night.  The  lightning  flashed 
up  in  sheets  from  the  Lake  ;  the  rain  first  fell  perpendicularly, 
then  came  furious  winds  from  all  points  of  the  compass,  that 
lashed  the  water  into  mountain  waves,  and  twirled  them  into 
spires,  till  they  reached  the  clouds." 

The  phenomena  of  July  belonging  to  this  Venusian  disturb- 


ancc  are  as  follows,  but  we  will  only  quote  the  first  nine  days : 
July  3d  and  4th — A  faint  diffused  aurora,  as  seen  from  St. 
Louis  along  the  whole  northern  horizon  ;  during  this  night  and 
morning  a  general  rainstorm  prevailed  from  Wisconsin  west  to 
Wyoming.  The  cloud  was  so  intensely  electric  as  to  make  tele- 
graphing impossible  ;  and  in  many  places  there  were  terrific 
winds  accompanied  with  destructive  hail.  4th — The  disc  of  the 
Sun  covered  with  spots  ;  a  violent  typhoon  at  Kobe,  Japan  ; 
great  damage  at  sea,  many  vessels  wrecked,  and  on  land  many 
houses  blown  down,  and  over  400  persons  killed.  5th — A  des- 
tructive typhoon  at  Hioga,  Japan  ;  an  earthquake  in  California  ; 
dreadful  tornadoes  and  water-spouts  at  Rowen,  Reno,  and  Truc- 
kee,  Nevada,  doing  immense  damage  to  railroad  ;  terrible  torna- 
does in  Eastern  Nebraska  and  Western  Iowa  ;  a  train  blown  off 
the  track  and  one  car  carried  over  200  feet,  at  DeSoto,  Nebraska. 
6th — A  tornado  at  Mandeville,  West  Virginia.  7th — A  destruc- 
tive tornado  in  Arkansas.  9th — A  water-spout  in  Cork  harbor, 
Ireland.  At  4  P.  M.  a  violent  and  destructive  tornado  occurred 
at  Dayton,  Ohio.  Many  houses  were  demolished  and  many 
churches  and  bridges  blown  down.  Many  persons  were  killed, 
and  the  damage  done  to  property  in  the  city  and  county,  estima- 
ted at  over  a  million  of  dollars. 

The  phenomena  of  the  succeeding  Venusian  equinox  in  Octo- 
ber, 1871,  have  mostly  been  given  when  the  Jovial  Cycle  was 
under  discussion,  therefore  it  is  not  necessary  to  quote  what 
remains  of  them,  nor  to  quote  those  of  succeeding  cycles.  W^e 
indeed  might  take  up  every  Venusian  Cycle  that  has  occurred 
since,  and  produce  incontestible  evidence  that  similar  phenom- 
ena have  characterized  each  of  them.  We  could  do  more  ;  we 
could  go  back  indefinitely  and  do  the  same,  as  we  have  ample 
material  on  hand.  But  this  would  not  only  be  tedious,  but 
superfluous.  If  the  evidence  we  have  produced  from  the  records 
of  the  Past ;  and  if  the  testimony  that  Nature  has  furnished  in  the 
phenomena  she  has  exhibited  since  we  first  published  our  theory 
to  the  world,  challenging  a  test  of  it  by  facts  ;  and  especially,  if 
the  astounding  phenomena  daily  occurring  while  we  are  writing 
this  (June,  1875),  do  not  convince  every  one  of  ordinary  intelli- 
gence of  the  reality  of  the  Venusian  Cycle,  then  he  is  too 
incorrigibly  dull  to  be  convinced  by  any  evidence  whatever,  or 


("5) 

by  facts  even  that  would  lay  waste  and  desolate  whole  continents. 
Before  closing  the  discussion  on  this  point  we  will  add,  since, 
to  give  the  facts  themselves,  would  be  a  mere  repetition  ;  for  by 
changing  the  names  of  the  localities,  the  detailed  account  we 
have  just  given  of  the  phenomena  in  June,  1871,  is  exactly  des- 
criptive of  the  phenomena  of  June,  1875.  To  us  the  coinci- 
dence and  identity  of  phenomena  of  such  extraordinary  character, 
happening  after  so  long  an  interval  of  time,  but  under  identical 
astronomical  conditions,  is  conclusive  proof  that  those  conditions 
not  only  influenced  but  caused  the  phenomena. 

The  Terrestrial  Cycle,  we  may  say,  has  always  been  known  ; 
not  indeed  as  a  meteorological  cycle  in  the  sense  we  must  now 
understand  it;  but  from  time  immemorial  it  has  been  known 
that  when  the  Sun  apparently,  but  the  Earth  really,  crosses  the 
Equator,  as  the  Equinoctial  Colure  is  called,  storms  prevail, 
which  have  received  the  characteristic  name  of  "equinoctial 
storms."  It  has  also  been  kno\vn  that  simultaneously  with  the 
occurrence  of  these  storms,  a  meteorological  change  takes  place 
over  the  entire  Globe  ;  the  polar  hemispheres  exchange  seasons 
and  climates  ;  and  the  direction  of  the  wind  over  the  whole  sur- 
face of  the  Earth  is  more  or  less  changed,  and  in  some  localities 
entirely  reversed,  in  consequence  of  the  hemispheres  changing 
their  electric  state  from  the  static  to  the  dynamic,  and  vice  versa. 
These  great  changes  are  wrought  by  a  change  in  the  electric 
condition  of  the  Earth,  which  at  one  equinox  renews  its  electric 
energy  at  the  North,  and  at  the  other  at  the  South  Magnetic 
Pole  of  the  Sun.  From  well  established  electric  laws,  it  might 
have  been  foreseen  that  the  Earth,  as  a  member  of  the  Solar 
System,  could  not  do  so  without  effecting  the  electric  condition 
of  every  member  of  that  system,  as  well  as  that  of  the  great 
central  Luminary  himself. 

It  is  an  astronomical  fact,  that  the  Earth's  orbit  is  so  placed  in 
reference  to  the  Sun,  that  the  Earth  in  every  revolution  on  oppo- 
site points  of  its  orbit,  is  alternately  brought,  so  to  speak,  above 
and  below  the  Sun  ;  and  that  its  equinoxes  occur  when  it  passes 
by  the  Sun.  As  all  the  orbits  of  the  planets  are  similarly  placed, 
and  make  various  angles  with  the  Earth's  orbit,  therefore  each 
planet  in  every  revolution  passes,  in  popular  language,  above 
and  below  the  Sun  ;  and  in  passing  by  the  Sun,  its  equinoxes 


(u6)    . 

occur  by  which  its  electric  condition  is  affected.  But  by  an  in- 
exorable law,  this  cannot  take  place  in  any  of  them  without  af- 
fecting the  electric  condition  of  all  members  of  the  system. 

We  have  proven  that  both  when  Jupiter  and  Venus  pass  these 
points  on  their  orbits,  they  effect  great  changes  in  the  electric 
condition  of  the  Earth  and  of  its  Atmosphere.  Hence  it  is  only 
an  extension  of  the  same  principle  when  we  logically,  as  we  in- 
evitably must  or  else  be  inconsistent,  infer  the  same  influence 
will  be  felt,  and  the  same  effect  produced  by  all  the  other  planets 
under  similar  circumstances. 

We  have  already  given  the  accessory  agency  of  Mercury  in 
causing  phenomena,  pending  a  Venusian  disturbance.  It  will 
be  seen  by  reference  to  the  facts  stated,  that  the  Mercurial  period 
is  always  sharply  defined,  since  the  phenomena  often  appear  at 
the  exact  time  that  his  equinoxes  take  place,  and  always  within 
a  few  days  before  or  after.  Being  so  well  defined,  the  Mercurial 
Cycle  will  not  be  seriously  questioned  ;  but  determined  not  to 
leave  any  point  in  doubt,  we  will  endeavor  to  show  his  direct 
agency  by  adducing  cases  wherein  his  influence  is  not  complica- 
ted with  extraneous  influences.  This  expression,  however,  must 
be  understood  in  accordance  with  the  principles  already  stated ; 
namely,  that  all  phenomena  are  compound,  and  that  no  planet, 
not  even  Jupiter,  is  sole  cause  of  them. 

All  planets  exacerbate  the  electric  condition  of  the  Earth,  but 
as  this  exacerbation,  when  caused  by  slowly  moving  planets, 
comes  on  gradually  and  abates  in  the  same  manner,  no  electric 
paroxysm  ensues,  unless  by  the  supervention  of  a  disturbance  of 
a  swiftly  moving  planet ;  and  then  the  more  suddenly  this  dis- 
turbance supervenes  the  more  well-defined  and  violent  is  the 
paroxysm.  For  instance,  the  Jovial  perturbation, — if  the  obser- 
vations of  magnetic  disturbances  are  to  be  credited, — comes  on 
gradually  for  two  years  and  upward  ;  but  the  full  force  of  a  Ve- 
nusian disturbance  is  enforced  in  thirty  days  ;  a  Mercurial  one  in 
ten  ;  and  a  Vulcanian  in  not  exceeding  seven  days.  Hence  the 
more  rapid  the  orbital  velocity  of  a  planet,  the  more  complete 
will  be  the  juncture  of  its  phenomena  with  its  equinoxes. 
Hence,  too,  we  find  that  Mercurial  and  Vulcanian  phenomena 
always, — unless  they  originate  at  localities  distant  from  the  place 
of  observation, — sharply  coincide  with  their  equinoxes.  For 


("7) 

real  Mercurial  phenomena  we  must  look  to  such  as  occur 
at  periods  when  there  is  a  Jovial  disturbance  prevailing,  and 
which  are  too  remote  from  other  planetary  equinoxes  to  be 
affected  by  them.  This  is  a  somewhat  difficult  task  :  since  Mer- 
cury, from  the  smallness  of  his  size,  were  it  not  for  the  energy 
of  his  position  near  the  Sun,  would  scarcely  exercise  any  per- 
ceptible influence.  But  as  it  is,  his  influence  is  decidedly  more 
marked  than  that  of  Mars. 

The  following,  though  it  was  not  a  pure  Mercurial  phenomenon, 
yet  it  deserves  a  record  :  The  Lady  Nugent,  a  British  troop- 
ship, sailed  from  Madras  May  roth,  1854,  anc^  foundered  in  a 
hurricane  a  few  days  afterwards.  All  on  board,  350  rank  and 
file  of  the  Madras  infantry,  officers,  and  crew,  altogether  over 
400  perished.  A  Jovial  equinox  had  taken  place  about  the  mid- 
dle of  December,  and  a  Venusian  April  4th.  A  Vulcanian  and 
a  Mercurial  had  occurred  on  the  same  day,  May  8th,  or  two 
days  before  the  vessel  sailed.  The  hurricane  occurred  in  conse- 
quence of  superimposing  the  Vulcanian  and  Mercurial  perturba- 
tions upon  the  Jovial. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1838,  the  steamer  Forfarshire, 
from  Hull  to  Dundee,  was  wrecked  in  a  violent  storm  near  the 
Outer  Fern  Lighthouse.  Out  of  fifty-three  persons,  thirty- 
eight  perished.  James  Darling,  the  keeper  of  the  lighthouse,  and 
liis  heroic  daughter,  Grace  Darling — although  there  was  a  tre- 
mendous sea  running — ventured  out  in  a  coble,  and  rescued  15 
persons.  Mercury  passed  his  equinox  on  September  yth,  1838. 
No  other  equinoctial  excitement  except  that  of  the  Earth  pre- 
vailed at  the  time. 

On  the  2yfh  of  August,  1826,  a  most  extraordinary  hurricane 
occurred  in  the  White  Mountains,  New  Hampshire.  It  brought 
down  a  land  slide  that  buried  the  Willey  family.  Mercury 
passed  his  equinox  on  the  previous  day,  namely,  the  26th. 
No  other  equinoctial  influence  prevailed  excepting  that  of  the 
approaching  Autumnal  equinox  of  the  Earth. 

My  phenomenal  record  of  1871,  when  a  joint  perturbation 
prevailed,  affords  several  instances  of  Mercurial  disturbances  dur- 
ing periods  when  the  Earth  was  free  from  any  extraneous  excite- 
ment other  than  the  Jovial.  The  first  is  that  of  January  3ist. 
Brilliant  auroras  were  seen,  both  in  America  and  Australia,  on 


(nS) 

January  3Oth ;  and  violent  earth-currents  were  observed  at  all 
physical  observatories.  On  the  3ist,  severe  earthquakes  occurred 
at  Bombay  and  Assam,  in  India,  and  in  Asia  Minor  they  did  much 
damage.  On  February  ist,  2d  and  3d,  a  general  rain  and  snow 
storm  prevailed  in  the  United  States. 

At  the  time -of  Mercury's  equinox,  April  29th,  1871,  the  fol- 
lowing phenomena  are  recorded : 

April  24th — Destructive  hailstorms  near  New  Orleans  ;  many 
plantations  ruined,  and  cotton  must  be  replanted. 

April  26th — Destructive  hailstorm  at  Rose  Hill,  Missouri,  at 
Detroit,  Michigan,  and  at  Bluff,  Texas.  2^th — A  destructive 
hailstorm  at  Canton  and  Grenada,  Mississippi,  at  5  o'clock,  P. 
M.,  and  at  Ponchatoula,  Louisiana.  28th — A  terrible  hailstorm 
at  Wytheville,  Virginia.  29th — Terrific  gale  and  hailstorm  at 
Jacksonville,  Illinois.  3oth — A  destructive  hailstorm  passed 
through  northern  Mississippi  ;  a  tornado  and  hailstorm  at  Louis- 
ville, Kentucky,  and  a  second  hailstorm  at  Wytheville,  Virginia. 
On  the  same  day  there  was  a  violent  earthquake  at  Hayti. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  falling  in  of  a  plain,  and  the 
engulfing  of  houses  and  their  inhabitants,  on  the  ir.land  of  Comi- 
guin,  during  a  protracted  earthquake  on  May  ist.  On  the  2d 
of  May  there  was  a  terrible  hurricane  at  Baton  Rouge  and  the 
Lower  Mississippi.  The  remaining  equinoxes  of  Mercury  for  1871, 
are  all  so  complicated  with  those  of  other  planetary  equinox- 
es, as  to  make  it  impossible  to  show  what  share  he  had  in  the 
phenomena  that  occurred  at  the  periods.  The  phenomena  of 
his  equinoxes  that  fell  within  the  Venusian  periods,  have  already 
been  given. 

An  uncomplicated  equinox  of  Mercury  occurred  March  3d, 
1872.  In  the  Signal  Office  Report  of  1872,  p.  288,  a  full  report, 
accompanied  by  seven  maps,  is  given  of  a  storm  that  originated 
in  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the  ist  of  March,  and  left  the  coast 
of  Nova  Scotia,  where  it  did  much  damage,  on  the  night  of  the 
3d.  March  3d — A  severe  earthquake  at  Mostar,  in  the  Herze- 
govina, and  a  gale  on  Lake  Michigan. 

The  next  equinox  of  Mercury  is  also  free  from  extraneous  in- 
fluences. It  occurred  on  the  I5th  of  April,  1872.  In  the  disas- 
ters of  the  Great  Lake,  (see  Signal  Report  of  1872,  p.  196,)  we 
find,  April  I3th — Scow  Annie  Comine  struck  a  pier,  and  after- 


("9) 

wards  damaged  by  drifting  against  a  dock.  Scow  Nettie  dis- 
masted in  a  gale.  April  I4th — Scow  Christie  sunk.  Schooner 
Union  lost  anchor  and  damaged.  Schooner  Game  Cock  dam- 
aged. Steamer  Jay  Cooke  slightly  damaged.  Eva  M.  Cone 
lost  foretop.  Minnie  Corbett  lost  two  spars.  April  i5th — 
Schooner  Liberty  dashed  to  pieces  on  a  pier  in  a  violent  north- 
east gale.  Propeller  Navarino  sunk.  Steamer  Sheboygan  driven 
back  by  gale,  and  twenty  other  schooners  and  scows  damaged, 
driven  ashore,  etc.,  and  fish-boat  Hattic  lost  with  all  on  board. 

My  phenomenal  record  gives  April  i/fth — A  violent  typhoon 
at  the  Philippine  Islands,  and  April  i5th — A  terrific  eruption  of 
the  volcano  Merapi,  Java.  Immense  destruction  of  life  and 
property.  f 

The  next  Mercurial  equinox  occurring  May  3oth,  1872,  was 
complicated  with  a  Venusian  that  had  occurred  on  the  28th. 
The  list  of  Lake  disasters  shows  considerable  damage  to  ship- 
ping from  26th  of  May  to  2d  of  June.  But  as  it  is  impossible 
to  separate  the  phenomena,  being  the  joint  production  of  the 
two  planets,  we  will  not  quote  them. 

The  following  is  from  the  daily  journal  of  the  Signal  observer 
on  Mount  Washington,  and  gives  an  idea  of  the  condition  of  the 
weather:  May  27th,  1872 — Barometer  falling  steadily  all  day. 
Weather  fair  till  3  P.  M.,  when  dense  stratus  clouds,  covered 
the  summit  and  remained  there  until  rain  began  to  fall  at  n  P. 
M.  This  weather  continued  through  the  night.  May  28th — The 
weather  has  been  very  bad  all  day.  Snow  fell  during  the  night, 
and  continued  up  to  10.30  P.  M.,  changing  then  to  rain  and 
sleet.  May  29th — The  wind  from  the  north-west,  with  high  and 
gale  velocity.  The  rain  last  night  changed  to  snow,  and  con- 
tinued to  fall  to  a  little  before  day-break  ;  and  some  of  the  drifts 
measured  upward  of  fifteen  inches  in  depth.  Heavy  stratus 
clouds  obscured  the  sky  and  covered  the  summit  all  day.  May 
3oth — Day  very  cloudy.  At  6.40  P.  M.  a  heavy  driving  rain 
commenced,  which  continued  when  midnight  report  was  sent. 
Difficulty  in  telegraphing  midnight  report  to  Boston,  although  a 
strong  current  was  put  on,  as  the  bad  weather  caused  frequent 
breaks.  May  3ist — The  weather  has  been  one  continuous  round 
of  snow,  hail,  sleet  and  rain  all  day."  Signal  Service  Report, 
1872,  p.  215. 


(1 20) 

For  the  Mercurial  equinox  of  July  i3th,  1872,  from  the  indefi- 
nite way  in  which  the  damages  to  vessels  on  the  Lakes  are  stated, 
it  is  impossible  to  s..y  whether  it  was  sustained  by  gales  or  not ; 
and  as  the  Signal  Office  then  had  not  commenced  their  Weekly 
and  Monthly  Review  of  the  Weather,  the  influence  of  that  equi- 
nox upon  the  weather  cannot  be  shown.  However,  in  the  Re- 
port of  18/3,  the  observations  of  Sergeant  Fish,  made  at  Una- 
laska,  Alaska,  are  given.  Ey  reference  to  them  I  find  it  had  not 
rained  at  that  station  from  the  7th  of  July  to  the  nth,  when  a 
low  barometer  set  in  with  rain  daily  till  July  lyth. 

The  Mercurial  equinox  next  in  time  was  that  on  August  26th, 
1872.  In  the  Lake  disaster  list  are  found  the  following  items  : 

Schooner  Naragansett  lost  canvass  in  a  gale.  A  scow  driven 
ashore  on  August  26th.  On  the  27th,  schooner  Luddington 
lost  jib-boom.  28th — A  northeast  storm  all  day  on  Lake  Michi- 
gan, driving  many  vessels  into  port  for  shelter ;  scow  Ida  Bloom 
struck  a  pier  and  lost  jib-boom  ;  several  small  sail  boats  lost  or 
damaged  at  Milwaukee  ;  a  canal  boat  sunk  and  another  damaged. 
Schooner  Louise  Meeker,  with  22,000  bushels  of  oats,  struck  by 
a  gale,  capsized  and  sunk ;  schooner  Glad  Tidings  lost  jib- 
boom  in  a  gale  ;  scow  Minnie  Corlctt,  loaded  with  shingles, 
damaged.  29th — The  following  schooners  suffered  damage : 
Garibaldi,  sail  torn  ;  Angelinc,  lost  mainsail  ;  Sanburn,  split 
mainsail  and  foretop  sail ;  and  Almira,  damaged  against  piers. 
Scow  Porter  went  ashore  ;  and  a  raft  of  logs  broke  loose  from  a 
tug  and  washed  ashore,  etc. 

Mercury's  next  equinox  occurred  on  October  9th,  1872.  There 
was  no  list  of  Lake  disasters  published  from  August  3ist,  1872, 
to  January  ist,  1873  ;  consequently  we  cannot  refer  to  the  invar- 
iable gales  on  the  Lakes  at  the  planetary  equinoctial  periods. 
Referring  to  the  monthly  weather  map  of  the  Signal  Office,  for 
October,  1872,  we  find  that  storm  centre  No.  2  of  that  month, 
appeared  in  Dakota,  on  the  morning  of  the  Sth  of  October,  was 
central  on  the  Lakes  on  the  9th,  and  disappeared  in  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence  on  the  night  of  the  loth. 

Mercury's  last  equinox  in  1872,  occurred  on  the  22d  of  Nov- 
ember. There  was  a  storm  centre  from  the  southwest  that  was 
central  on  the  Lakes  on  the  24th.  The  Weather  Review  for  the 
month  of  November,  gives  no  special  information  ;  it  only  says  : 


(121) 

*'  During  the  month  four  storm  centres  crossed  the  country  diag- 
onally from  the  southwest  to  New  England  and  the  British  Prov- 
inces." This  of  course  was  one  of  them.  It  further  says : 
*fc  Destructive  gales  have  attended  the  progress  of  many  of  these 
storm  centres,  particularly  over  the  upper  lake  region,  in  the  St. 
Lawrence  Valley,  and  on  the  middle  and  east  Atlantic  coast." 

The  first  Mercurial  equinox  in  1873,  occurred  January  5th, 
just  three  days  before  the  Venusian  equinox.  Its  perturbation 
is  therefore  complicated  with  that  of  Venus.  A  storm  centre 
appeared  in  Wyoming  on  the  3d,  passed  through  Arkansas  on 
the  night  of  the  4th,  up  the  Ohio  Valley  on  the  5th,  and  reached 
Nova  Scotia  on  the  6th.  On  the  latter  date,  another  storm  centre 
appeared  in  the  Upper  Missouri  Valley,  and  was  central  on 
the  upper  lakes  on  the  8th.  This  storm  is  the  one  that  was  so 
destructive  to  stock  on  the  Plains  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska. 

The  second  Mercurial  equinox  occurred  on  the  iSth  of  February, 
two  days  after  a  Vulcanian  equinox.  The  phenomena,  accord- 
ing to  the  Weather  Review  of  February,  1873,  were  :  A  storm 
centre  moved, February  i5th,  i6th  and  i7th,  northeastward  from 
Texas  over  the  Ohio  Valley,  then  eastward  over  and  beyond  the 
Atlantic  coast,  accompanied  by  rain,  generally  heavy  ;  with  a 
severe  thunderstorm  at  Memphis  on  the  I5th.  Another  on  the 
1 7th  and  iSth,  northwestward  from  Dakota,  over  Minnesota  and 
Lake  Superior,  followed  by  low  temperature.  And  still  another 
on  the  2oth  and  2ist,  over  the  Southern  States  and  the  northeast, 
accompanied  by  high  winds  and  heavy  rains  and  snows  over  the 
whole  country. 

On  the  3d  of  April,  1873,  another  Mercurial  equinox  occurred 
simultaneously  with  a  Vulcanian.  In  the  Lake  disaster  list  we 
read  .  "  April  3d — Scow  Raven  dismasted.  3d — Propeller 
Fremont  damaged.  4th — Schooner  Caroline  Marsh  lost  her 
jib-boom.  5th — Light-house  at  Erie  blown  down,  and  schooner 
Aldebaran  lost  mast  by  lightning."  In  the  Monthly  Weather 
Review  for  April,  1873,  we  read  that  a  storm  centre  passed  over 
Missouri,  Illinois  and  Michigan,  into  Canada,  on  April  ist  and 
2d,  sending  minor  disturbances  over  the  middle  Atlantic  coast, 
accompanied  with  brisk  to  high  winds  and  heavy  rains  in  all  the 
States  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  was  felt  as  a  severe 
storm  from  northern  Texas  to  the  northwest  and  Lakes.  A  second 


(122) 

storm  centre  passed  over  Nebraska,  Kansas,  Iowa,  Missouri, 
Illinois  and  Michigan,  into  Canada  on  3d,  4th,  5th,.6th  and  yth  of 
April,  with  brisk  and  occasionally  high  winds,  accompanied  with 
rain  and  snow.  It  sent  out  several  minor  disturbances  eastward  to 
the  Atlantic  coast.  A  third  centre  passed  from  Texas  to  Can- 
ada, by  the  Lakes,  on  7th  to  loth,  with  heavy  rains  from  Texas 
to  Minnesota,  and  eastward  to  the  Atlantic,  followed  by  a  severe 
"Norther"  in  Texas. 

On  i  yth  of  May,  another  Mercurial  equinox  occurred,  and  a 
Vulcanian  on  the  I9th.  On  the  i5th — Schooner  Mary  Battle 
lost  main  and  mizzen  mast  in  a  storm  on  Lake  Erie.  iSth — Sev- 
eral schooners  driven  ashore  ;  many  minor  disasters  occurred  up 
to  and  including  the  2ist,  which  we  must  pass  over.  In  the 
Weather  Review  for  1873,  we  find  storm  centre  No.  6  travelling 
very  rapidly  from  Minnesota  to  New  England  on  i2th  and  i3thy 
accompanied  with  light  rains  and  high  winds  throughout  its 
course.  On  I3th,  i4th  and  i5th — Storm  centre  No.  7  passed 
from  the  Plains  of  Kansas  and  the  Indian  Territory  through 
Alabama  to  the  Atlantic  coast.  Considerable  rain  fell  in  all  the 
Southern  States.  Storm  centre  No.  8  passed  from  the  southwest 
by  way  of  Lakes  Michigan  and  Huron,  into  Canada,  on  the  iSth, 
1 9th  and  2oth,  with  violent  rain-belts  and  from  brisk  to  high 
winds.  Storm  centre  No.  9  passed,  from  May  2ist  to  24th,  from 
Montana  to  Nova  Scotia.  It  was  during  this  disturbance,  May  22d, 
that  the  terrific  tornado  in  Washington  County,  Iowa,  and 
another  on  same  day  in  Central  Illinois,  occurred,  fully  discussed 
in  Part  I. 

The  equinox  that  occurred  next  is  that  on  the  3Oth  of  June. 
The  list  of  disasters  on  the  lakes  mention  damages  of  such  a 
nature  that  they  likely  were  caused  by  gales,  but  being  un- 
certain, we  will  not  quote  them.  On  the  istof  July,  however, 
we  have  something  definite — Schooner  Minnie  Mueller  lost 
foremast  and  flying-jib  in  a  gale  ;  bark  Mary  Battle  arrived  with 
foretop-mast  gone  ;  and  bark  Dundee  with  sail  damaged.  Tug 
Bartlett  lost  smoke-stack.  In  the  Weather  Review  of  June,  we 
have  storm  centre  No.  9  passing  from  the  northwest  over  the 
Lake  Region,  from  the  25th  to  the  28th,  sending  out  branches 
with  severe  thunderstorms,  from  Tennessee  to  Minnesota ;  the 
Lakes  and  New  England.  From  the  28th  to  the  3oth — Storm 


centre  No.  10  passed  from  Minnesota  to  Canada,  accompanied 
with  severe  thunderstorms,  north  and  west  of  the  Ohio  Valley. 
Brisk  winds  over  the  northwest,  the  Lake  Region  and  the  At- 
lantic States ;  and  rain,  often  quite  heavy,  from  the  Lower  Mis- 
sissippi, to  the  northwest  and  Lakes,  to  the  Atlantic  coast. 

The  effects  of  the  Mercurial  equinox  in  August,  have  already 
been  noted,  and  the  origin  of  the  terrific  Nova  Scotia  Cyclone 
traced  to  it. 

The  list  of  lake  disasters  was  not  continued  beyond  the  3ist  of 
August,  1873,  as  stated  before,  therefore  we  cannot  refer  to 
the  weather  on  the  Lakes  at  the  occurrence  of  the  Mercurial 
equinox  September  26th,  1873.  The  Weather  Review  for  Sep- 
tember says  :  "  Sept.  23d  and  24th,  high  winds  over  the  north- 
west and  Lakes  ;  rains  from  Missouri  and  Ohio  Valleys  to  the 
Lakes,  and  Middle  and  east  Atlantic  coasts.  This  was  the 
severest  storm  of  the  month,  especially  on  the  Upper  Lakes, 
where  there  were  very  heavy  gales.  Sept.  25th  and  26th — 
High  winds  in  the  northwest  and  on  the  Upper  Lakes  ;  with  rain 
in  Montana,  and  snow  on  the  26th  ;  heavy  gales  on  Upper  Lakes,, 
Sept.  2yth,  28th  and  29th — High  winds,  on  Lake  Ontario  and  in 
Lower  St.  Lawrence  Valley  ;  rain  in  all  sections  east  of  the. 
Rocky  Mountains,  followed  by  a  severe  i  Norther  '  in  Texas  on 
night  of  29th."  On  the  29th  and  3Oth — A  high  barometer  from 
the  northwest  covered  the  entire  country,  accompanied  with  low 
temperature  and  heavy  frosts  in  the  northern  sections.  I  desire 
to  call  particular  attention  to  this  fact  of  high  barometers  follow- 
ing low  barometers  or  storm  centres.  All  our  excessively  cold 
weather  in  Winter  is  caused  by  these  high  barometers  preceding 
or  following  low  barometers.  This  we  will  show  at  the  proper 
place. 

The  next  Mercurial  equinox  occurred  on  November  9th,  1873. 
The  Weather  Review  of  that  month  says :  "No.  IV  storm  cen- 
tre originated  in  the  western  part  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and 
moved  along  the  Gulf  and  the  Atlantic  coast  all  the  way  to  Nova 
Scotia.  It  started  upon  this  track  on  the  morning  of  the  6th, 
and  reached  Plaister  Cove,  Nova  Scotia,  on  the  morning  of  the 
9th.  It  was  accompanied  by  fresh  winds  and  rain  on  the  sea- 
board, and  on  reaching  the  coast  of  Maine  it  was  marked  by 
high  and  dangerous  winds  in  its  front.  As  usual  with  cyclones 


(I24) 

taking  this  track,  as  it  neared  Nova  Scotia,  the  barometric  de- 
pression increased,  and  the  cyclonic  winds  became  more  violent, 
than  when  the  meteor  was  moving  on  lower  parallels  of  latitude. 
Storm  center  No.  V  probably  originated  in  Colorado.  It  was 
first  observed  on  the  loth  in  Kansas,  and  first  moved  to  St.  Paul, 
Minnesota;  thence  on  nth  towards  Milwaukee,  sweeping  east- 
ward with  destructive  force  over  the  Lakes,  accompanied  with 
heavy  snow  and  rain." 

The  last  Mercurial  equinox  in  1873  occurred  on  the  23d  of 
December.  The  Weather  Review  for  that  month  says  :  "No. 
VIII  storm  centre  began  on  the  lyth  in  the  Southwest,  and  ad- 
vanced slowly  in  a  direction  almost  due  north-east  over  the  Ohio 
Valley.  It  was  attended  by  heavy  precipitation  and  high  winds. 
It  disappeared  near  Nova  Scotia  on  the  2oth.  No.  IX  com- 
menced on  the  2ist,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Grande,  skirting 
the  Gulf  coast,  it  crossed  over  northern  Florida  on  the  night  of 
the  22d ;  thence  making  its  pathway  along  the  main  axis  of  the 
Gulf  Stream.  No.  X  began  in  the  Gulf  on  the  night  of  the 
24th ;  passed  over  Southern  Florida  and  thence  along  the  Atlan- 
tic seaboard.  It  reached  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia  on  the  27th. 
This  gale  was  followed  by  heavy  snowstorms  in  New  England, 
the  snow  falling  two  feet  deep  in  some  places." 

The  Mercurial  equinoxes  ot  the  year  1874  down  to  the  present 
time,  July,  1875,  we  will  have  to  pass  over  hastily,  quoting  the 
substance  of  the  statements  of  the  Monthly  Weather  Review. 

The  first  occurred  February  5th,  1874.  A  storm  centre  passed 
from  Southwestern  Texas,  from  the  3d  and  4th,  to  the  coast  of 
Virginia  on  the  7th,  accompanied  by  heavy  rain  and  snow  in  the 
Southern,  Central,  and  Middle  Atlantic  States.  On  the  7th,  a 
Cuba  storm  appeared  on  the  coast  of  southwest  Florida,  which 
became  a  very  destructive  cyclone  on  the  Gulf  Stream  opposite 
the  middle  Atlantic  coast. 

The  second  occurred  March  2ist.  Three  minor  storm  centres 
passed  over  the  Continent  from  the  Northwest,  from  the  I9th  to 
the  25th.  On  the  i6th  and  lyth  there  were  forty  consecutive 
hours  rain  in  Georgia,  and  5.1  inches  of  water  fell. 

The  third  occurred  May  4th.  A  storm  centre  from  the  north- 
west was  central  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  on  the  4th.  It 
came  from  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  entered  the  Atlantic  off  Cape 


Hattcras.  A  high  barometer  over  the  Lakes  deflected  it  and 
made  it  take  this  unusual  direction. 

The  fourth  occurred  on  the  iyth  of  June.  A  storm  centre 
that  was  central  over  Kansas  on  the  i4th,  passed  over  the  Lakes 
to  Halifax,  where  it  reached  on  the  iSth.  This  storm  exhibited 
"the  steepest  barometric  gradient  for  the  month."  On  the  i8th 
a  severe  shock  of  an  earthquake  was  felt  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah. 

The  fifth  occurred  July  3ist.  This  equinox  is  complicated 
with  that  of  Venus,  which  occurred  eight  days  before,  namely, 
on  the  23d  of  July,  and  Vulcan  on  3oth.  This  month  through- 
out was  marked  for  its  destructive  local  storms.  First,  those  of 
the  4th  and  7th,  that  were  produced  by  the  Vulcanian  equi- 
nox of  July  7th  ;  and  second,  those  that  were  the  joint  production 
of  the  three  crowding  equinoxes  of  the  seven  last  days  of  the 
month.  These  were  waterspouts  on  the  22d  and  23d  in  Colora- 
do ;  24th,  destructive  storm  and  waterspout  in  Nevada  ;  25th,  a 
destructive  waterspout  in  Germany ;  and  26th,  the  terrible  storm 
and  waterspout  at  Pittsburgh,  or  rather  at  Allegheny  City,  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  at  which  134  lives  were  lost,  accord- 
ing to  the  official  report,  and  property  valued  at  over  five  hund- 
red thousand  dollars  was  destroyed.  An  earthquake  occurred  at 
Cairo,  Illinois,  on  the  9th,  referable  to  the  Vulcanian  equinox  of 
7th ;  another  at  Camp  Russell,  at  Nebraska,  on  the  23d,  the  date 
of  the  Venusian  equinox  ;  and  another  on  August  3d,  at  San  Ber- 
nardino, California,  referable  to  Mercury. 

The  sixth  occurred  on  September  i4th.  Three  separate  storm 
centres  passed  over  the  Continent  from  the  I3th  to  the  iSth,  with 
heavy  rains,  ending  the  drought  that  had  prevailed  in  the  Mid- 
dle States  and  east  Atlantic  coast  for  five  or  six  weeks.  On  the 
i6th  and  i7th  much  damage  was  done  in  Kansas,  Iowa  and  Mis- 
souri by  a  severe  wind  and  rain  storm. 

The  seventh  occurred  October  27th.  A  severe  storm  was  cen- 
tral in  Nebraska  on  the  27th.  Its  passage  over  the  Upper  Lakes 
resulted  in  numerous  disasters.  A  Detroit  paper  says  :  "  The 
gale  moved  everything  on  land  that  was  not  fastened."  There 
was  a  severe  "Norther"  in  Texas  on  the  29th.  Snow  fell  so 
heavily  in  Dakota  as  to  obstruct  the  railroads  ;  and  a  water-spout 
occurred  on  Lake  Erie  on  the  3ist,  striking  the  shore  half  a 
mile  west  of  Buffalo,  where  it  burst. 


(126) 

The  eighth,  and  last  Mercurial  Equinox  of  1874,  occurred  on 
December  loth,  1874.  A  storm  centre  passed  through  the  Brit- 
ish Possessions,  north  of  the  Lakes,  on  the  loth  and  I2th,  with 
high  winds  on  the  Lakes.  Another  storm  centre  appeared  in 
the  Northwest  on  the  I2th,  and  passed  over  the  Lakes  on  the 
1 3th,  accompanied  by  rain  in  the  south,  and  sleet,  snow  and  high 
winds  in  the  Lake  Region  and  eastward,  with  severe  gales  on 
the  Middle  Atlantic  coast ;  several  wrecks  occurring  north  of 
Cape  Hatteras.  Distinct  shocks  of  a  earthquake  occurred  on 
the  loth  on  Long  Island,  in  Westchester  and  Rockland  counties, 
along  the  Palisades  and  Hudson  River,  New  York,  and  in  New 
Jersey.  On  the  I2th,  another  shock  was  felt  at  Garrison's,  New 
York,  and  on  the  8th  there  was  an  earthquake  at  Guadaloupe, 
West  Indies. 

In  the  present  year  (1875)  the  Mercurial  equinoxes,  up  to  the 
time  of  writing  this,  have  been  as  follows : 

First,  on  the  23d  of  January.  A  storm  centre  passed  from 
Portland,  Oregon,  to  Canada,  from  I9th  to  2 3d,  accompanied 
with  heavy  snows,  there  were  light  snows  and  rains  in  the  South- 
ern States  and  a  "Norther"  in  Texas.  On  the  2ist  to  25th  an- 
other storm  centre  passed  from  the  Pacific  Coast  to  Canada,  ac- 
companied with  severe  gales,  rain,  sleet,  and  snow,  North  ;  and 
heavy  rains  and  thunderstorms  South.  At  4  A.  M.  on  the  24th, 
two  shocks  of  an  earthquake  were  felt  at  Carson  City,  Nevada. 
The  first  shock  was  light,  the  second  quite  severe,  and  lasted 
several  seconds.  The  same  shocks  were  felt  at  Sacramento,  Cal. 

The  second  occurred  on  March  8th,  but  is  so  much  complica- 
ted with  the  Venusian  equinox  of  the  5th,  and  other  equinoxes, 
that  its  distinct  phenomena  cannot  be  traced.  On  the 6th  a  storm 
centre  appeared  on  the  Gulf  coast  of  Louisiana,  preceded  by 
rains  and  easterly  winds  in  Alabama  and  Mississippi.  Its  path 
was  almost  due  northeast  through  Alabama,  East  Tennessee, 
thence  skirting  the  Atlantic  coast  to  Halifax.  In  the  Southern 
States  immense  rainfall,  and  in  the  Northern  snow,  along  its 
whole  route.  At  Memphis  the  deepest  snow  ever  known  fell. 
Through  the  Ohio  Valley,  thence  towards  Lake  Erie,  the  snow 
fall  was  extraordinary.  High  winds  in  the  West ;  severe  gales 
along  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  on  the  coast  of  Texas  a  severe 
"Norther"  prevailed  for  twelve  hours. 


The  third  Mercurial  equinox  occurred  April  2ist.  This  is 
complicated  with  the  Martial  equinox  of  April  3Oth.  On  the 
1 8th  and  i9th  a  severe  marine  storm  prevailed  from  Cape  Hat- 
teras  to  Cape  May.  One  ship  reports  "being  surrounded  by 
whirlwinds  and  waterspouts,  culminating  in  a  violent  gale  from 
North-northwest,  with  blinding  snow  so  dense  that  one  could 
scarcely  see  three  lengths  of  the  vessel."  On  the  2ist,  a  storm 
from  Western  Texas  appeared  in  Louisiana,  Mississippi  and 
Alabama  ;  thence  southeast  over  Florida  to  the  Gulf;  and  thence 
by  the  Gulf  Stream  to  New  Foundland,  where  it  disappeared  on 
the  25th.  When  the  centre  passed  by  Cape  Henry,  vessels  in 
Chesapeake  Bay  experienced  the  severest  hurricane  of  the  Spring 
and  Winter. 

The  fourth  occurred  on  June  4th.  On  the  ist  a  storm  centre 
appeared  from  the  Southwest  at  Omaha,  Nebraska  ;  it  moved 
with  very  heavy  rains  slowly  to  Duluth,  on  the  western  extrem- 
ity of  Lake  Superior,  and  was  central  on  the  Lake  during  the 
2d  ;  thence  it  passed  northeastward  beyond  observation.  It  oc- 
casioned severe  hail  storms,  and  local  wind  storms  and  tornadoes, 
in  Kansas,  Iowa,  Indiana  and  Ohio.  On  the  4th,  another  low 
barometer,  coming  from  the  Southwest,  appeared  in  Kansas,  ac- 
companied by  occasional  heavy  rain.  On  the  5th  it  had  reached 
Indiana.  Near  Winchester,  Kentucky,  it  occasioned  a  severe 
hailstorm  on  the  6th.  The  ship  Hamilton  reports  a  severe 
earthquake  at  sea  on  the  4th,  Lat.  19  °  ,  16'  N.,  and  Long.  57  °  , 
5'  W.,  lasting  about  ten  minutes.  During  the  time  there  was  a 
tremendous  sea  on  the  vessel,  pitching  her  bows  under. 

MARTIAL  EQUINOXES. 

We  have  collected  a  large  number  of  facts  to  demonstrate 
the  nature  of  the  influence  exerted  by  Mars  at  his  equinoxes,  and 
to  show  the  character  of  the  phenomena  he  may  be  expected  to 
produce  ;  but  we  have  concluded  not  to  avail  ourselves  of  them 
at  present,  for  the  following  reasons  :  (i)  Mars  is  a  small  plan- 
et, hence  his  influence  must  be  at  best  feeble,  even  if  he  were 
not  disadvantaged  by  being  placed  so  remote  from  the  Sun.  (2) 
Since  he  is  a  slowly  moving  planet,  requiring  only  43  days  less 
than  two  years  to  perform  one  revolution  around  the  Sun,  there- 
fore he  brings  so  seldom — only  once  a  year — his  equinoctial 


0*8) 

influence  to  bear  upon  meteorological  phenomena.  (3)  His 
influence — not  strongly  marked  under  the  most  favorable  con- 
ditions— extends  over  five  or  six  months  ;  hence  it  becomes  ob- 
scured and  is  easily  lost  sight  of  in  the  frequent  perturbations 
of  the  planets  circulating  between  him  and  the  Sun ;  and  (4) 
for  the  still  more  cogent  reason,  that  our  purpose  and  labor  is 
more  directed  to  demonstrate  by  facts  that  Meteorological  Cycles 
are  realities,  and  what  are  the  causes  of  them,  than  to  show  the 
nature  and  energy  of  the  influence  exerted  by  each  planet  at  the 
critical  point  on  its  orbit,  and  the  character  of  the  phenomena 
we  may  expect  them  to  produce. 

Let  the  reality  of  Meteorological  Cycles  be  once  accepted  as  a 
truth,  and  then  we  can,  at  our  leisure,  observe,  examine,  con- 
sider and  study  their  phenomena.  Then,  too,  we  will  learn  how 
to  observe  and  what  to  observe. 

Successful  scientific  observation  depends  upon  knowing  what 
we  want  to  find.*  There  is  now-a-days  much  worthless,  because 
aimless,  observation.  The  unscientific  man  observes  and  records 
what  attracts  his  attention  in  physical  phenomena,  and  as  they 
appear  to  his  untrained  observing  faculties  ;  but  the  characteris- 
tic facts  revealing  the  nature,  cause  and  laws  of  the  phenomena, 
being  less  imposing,  escape  his  attention.  The  scientist  ob- 
serves minutely  the  character  and  varying  energy  of  phenomena, 
yet  not  regarding  each  individual  fact  as  a  letter  of  Nature's 
alphabet  by  which  she  spells  out  her  secrets  to  Man  ;  he  buries 
the  facts  beyond  resurrection,  deep  and  forever  in  the  grave  of 
averages  ;  a  grave  that  holds  relentlessly,  like  all  graves,  what- 
ever has  been  deposited  in  it ;  though  the  progress  of  Light  and 
Knowledge  would  rehabilitate  it  with  life  and  crown  it  with  im- 
mortal youth  and  unfading  beauty. 

In  the  Meteorology  of  the  books,  we  have  no  established  card- 
inal points  whence  to  start  on  our  voyage  of  discovery,  or 
whither  to  push  our  explorations  into  the  mysterious  region  of 
the  Unknown,  because  we  have  no  fixed  principle  serving  as  a 
polar  star  to  direct  our  course  on  the  wide  sea  of  Investigation 
on  which  we  embark,  and  whereon  we  will  be  tempest-tossed 
without  compass  or  rudder,  drifting  with  every  tide,  or  driven 

NOTE.— Plato  puts  it  in  this  shape  :  "  How  can  we  expect  to  find  unless 
we  know  what  we  are  looking  for?  " 


(I29) 

by  every  wind.  Hence  our  meteorological  observations,  not  being 
animated  by  a  knowing  and  living  spirit,  are  aimless  and  lifeless  ; 
and  are  not  so  directed  that  they  can  or  will  ascertain  and  fix  any 
great  principle  in  Physical  Science.  They  are  all  very  well,  if 
their  purpose  be  to  prove  or  disprove  the  phantasy  that  the  sup- 
ply of  fuel  to  the  Sun  is  varying  both  in  quality  and  quantity, 
and  that  his  imaginary  fires  are  dying  out.  In  fact,  so  .far,  me- 
teorological observations  have  only  tended  to  show, — what  no 
really  sane  man  has  even  doubted, — that  the  energies  of  Nature 
are  physical  constants,  though  like  the  heavenly  bodies  to  whose 
movements  they  are  intimately  related,  they  are  subject  to  secu- 
lar inequalities  in  their  manifestations. 

It  is  incontestable  that  the  first  step  in  undertaking  the  investi- 
gation of  any  snbject  whatever,  is  to  ascertain  and  establish  one 
of  the  fundamental  principles  of  that  subject,  as  a  basis  of  oper- 
ations to  be  surveyed  and  studied,  to  ascertain  what  it  sug- 
gests, and  "whatever  that  may  be,  to  follow  it  upon  all  oc- 
casions. Without  an  established  elementary  principle  to  sug- 
gest new  and  unknown  facts,  and  directing  observations  for  as- 
certaining them,  no  progress  in  scientific  research,  investigation 
and  discovery,  is  possible.  When  progress  depends,  as  it  en- 
tirely does  in  Meteorology,  upon  phenomenal  observations,  fun- 
damental principles  already  established  must  suggest  the  points 
to  which  observation  must  be  directed,  because  every  living  prin- 
ciple adumbrates  and  discloses  its  next  of  kin  still  concealed 
under  a  thin  veil  of  mystery. 

Now,  for  a  fundamental  principle  in  Meteorology — and  con- 
sequently as  a  guide  to  point  out,  direct  and  aid  in  the  observa- 
tion of  meteorological  phenomena — we  offer  planetary  equinoxes, 
which  are  permanently  fixed  astronomical  events  that  have  oc- 
curred at  their  allotted  periods  as  long  as  the  Solar  System  has 
existed,  and  will  recur  as  long  as  it  endures.  The  periods— or 
as  the  equinoxes  mark  them — the  half  periods,  of  planets,  we 
present  as  Meteorological  Cycles,  at  the  termination  or  beginning 
of  which,  there  will  be  regular  recurring  phenomena,  similar  in 
character,  though  varying  in  energy,  according  to  the  strength 
of  extraneous  causes  known  to  influence  the  Earth  and  its  Atmos- 
phere at  the  time. 

The  great  Truth  we  are  inculcating  is  the  reality  of  Meteoro- 


(-30) 

logical  Cycles,  and  we  present  it  as  a  square  issue  to  stand  or 
fall  by  the  crucial  test  of  facts.  Hence  the  more  sharply  defined 
and  the  more  distinctly  marked  the  phenomena  are,  the  better 
they  are  adapted  to  our  purpose.  However  interesting  as  are  the 
Martial  phenomena,  they  are  not  so  well  adapted  to  prove  the 
'general  principles  of  Meteorological  Cycles,  as  are  those  of  plan- 
ets of  shorter  periods. 

So  far  as  my  verification  of  the  theory  of  planetary  Meteoro- 
logical Cycles  has  been  presented,  it  has  been  in  the  order  in 
which  it  was  developed  in  my  own  mind.  That  of  Jupiter  came 
first,  which  suggested  and  led  to  the  discovery  of  the  Saturnian. 
This  gave  me  a  new  view  of  the  Telluric  equinoxes  ;  and  instead 
of  considering  them  only  as  astronomical  events,  I  looked  upon 
them  in  a  new  light,  and  recognized  them  as  marking  true 
Meteorological  Cycles.  To  my  mind  it  was  now  incontestably 
established  that  three  of  the  planets  by  their  passage  through 
their  equinoctial  points,  produced  physical  disturbances.  Might 
not  other  planets  do  the  same  ? 

It  was  ascertained  that  the  Saturnian  and  Jovial  equinoxes 
produce  sunspots,  "earth  currents/'  and  earthquakes,  that  is  Solar 
and  Telluric  perturbations,  accompanied  with  intensely  brilliant 
auroras,  which  may  be  considered  atmospheric^  disturbances. 
The  equinoxes  of  the  Earth,  besides  producing  and  intensifying 
the  Saturnian  and  Jovial  phenomena,  supplement  them  by  add- 
ing violent  atmospheric  perturbations,  especially  tropical  cy- 
clones. When  this  much  was  ascertained,  all  atmospheric  dis- 
turbances loomed  up  as  phenomena  probably  produced  by  plan- 
etary equinoxes.  Acting  upon  this  suggestion  we  ascertained 
the  equinoctial  points  of  Venus,  and  watched  the  phenomena 
occurring  while  that  planet  was  passing  those  points  on  its  orbit. 
The  result  was  astounding,  and  far  beyond  what  was  anticipated, 
fully  verifying  the  suggestion,  and  moreover  unmistakably  indi- 
cating that  bottom  had  not  been  touched  as  yet  by  the  sound- 
ings made  in  that  direction.  Immediately  similar  observations 
were  commenced  on  the  phenomena  occurring  at  Mercury's  equi- 
noxes, and  with  equally  satisfactory  and  astonishing  results. 

But  the  Mercurial  phenomena  did  not  exhaust  the  Catalogue ; 
for  it  was  soon  discovered  that  not  only  many  phenomena  oc- 
curred to  which  it  was  impossible  to  assign  a  place  in  any  of  the 


(130 

known  cycles,  but  which,  under  certain  conditions,  were  so  ter- 
rifically energetic  that  they  must  have  a  sufficient  though  unknown 
cause.  All  such  phenomena  were  noted,  and  the  first  sugges- 
tion that  they  must  be  referable  to  Vulcan,  the  gigantic  planet  near- 
est the  Sun,  soon  became  a  firm  conviction.  Of  this  we  shall 
speak  presently.  This  must  suffice  as  an  outline  of  my  mental 
history  during  the  years  I  sat  as  an  humble  pupil  at  the  feet  of 
Nature,  learning  her  alphabet,  whilst  the  subject  of  planetary 
Meteorological  Cycles  was  gradually  developing,  expanding  and 
unfolding  itself  until  I  was  enabled  to  grasp  it  in  its  fullness. 

It  was  not  until  the  Autumn  of  1874  that  I  turned  attention  to 
the  phenomena  of  Mars  :  consequently  I  have  observed  only 
those  of  one  equinox,  that  occurring  April  3Oth,  1875  ;  and  hence 
cannot  speak  so  positively  as  to  the  character  of  his  phenomena. 

Applying  the  principle  to  Mars,  that  a  planet's  disturbing  in- 
fluence is  felt  at  each  of  his  equinoxes  for  a  term  equal  to  one- 
fourth  of  his  period  of  revolution  around  the  Sun,  then  the  dis- 
turbing influence  of  Mars  extends  nearly  through  six  months. 
Of  course  his  influence,  though  quite  sensible,  well  defined,  and 
marked  at  and  near  his  equinox,  will  scarcely  be  appreciable 
$er  se  near  the  commencement  or  close  of  his  disturbing  period. 
However  it  may  be  with  our  perceptive  faculties,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  he  does  his  part,  and  has  his  share  in  the  cotemporane- 
ous  phenomena. 

The  influence  exerted  by  a  planet  is  entirely  electric.  Now, 
there  are  two-fold  electric  states,  the  static  and  the  dynamic  ;  and 
the  influence  of  the  planet  must  be  so  exerted  as  to  produce  one 
or  the  other,  and  each  alternately  upon  the  Earth.  When  the 
static  condition  is  produced  on  the  surface  of  the  Earth,  there 
results  from  it  the  dynamic  condition  on  the  Atmosphere.  When 
the  planetary  influence  is  to  produce  a  static  condition  on  the 
Atmosphere,  there  consequently  results  a  dynamic  state  upon 
the  surface  of  the  Earth.  A  static  condition  on  the  surface  of 
the  Earth,  induces  a  dynamic  on  the  Atmosphere  ;  consequently 
there  ensues  a  dowrn-pour  of  air  from  the  surface  of  the  aerial 
ocean  ;  that  is  a  high  barometer  with  anticyclonal  winds  flowing 
out  from  all  sides  of  it  on  the  surface  of  the  Earth.  A  static 
condition  in  the  Atmosphere  induces  a  dynamic  state  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  Earth  ;  consequently  an  upheaval  of  air,  that  is  a  low 


barometer  with  cyclonal  winds  pouring  into  it  on  all  sides.  In 
Part  I  this  point  is  fully  discussed,  and  where  it  is  also  shown 
that  in  Winter  a  static  condition  prevails  over  continents,  and  in 
Summer  a  dynamic.  Hence  in  Winter  high  barometers  over 
continents  are  the  rule,  and  low  ones  the  exception  ;  while  in 
Summer  the  reverse  is  the  case  ;  low  barometers  the  rule,  and 
high  ones  the  exception.  Now  high  and  low  barometers,  as 
demonstrated  in  Part  I,  are  electric  phenomena  ;  hence  a  planet's 
influence  being  electric,  it  infuses  unwonted  vigor  during  its 
prevalence  into  both,  thus  producing  unusually  high  and  unus- 
ually low  barometers,  not  only  in  their  proper  seasons,  but  at  all 
seasons,  and  frequent  oscillations  and  rapid  fluctuations  in  each. 
Hence  in  Winter  we  have  those  abnormally  cold  down-pours  of 
air  out  of  a  high  barometer  that  smite  with  death  both  animal 
and  vegetable  life  ;  while  at  all  seasons,  but  especially  in  Sum- 
mer, we  have  under  a  low  barometer  intense  upheavals  of  air 
and  vapor,  producing  terrific  Cyclones,  such  as  hurricanes,  tor- 
nadoes, waterspouts,  etc. 

It  is  yet  too  early  to  give  the  general  principles  of  the  modes 
by  which  the  Earth  is  affected  at  a  planetary  equinox  ;  the  gen- 
eral indications,  however  are,  that  in  the  later  as  well  as  in  the 
earlier  stages,  the  equinoctial  perturbation  of  a  planet  affects  the 
Earth  so  as  to  produce  the  static  condition,  while  at  or  near  the 
equinox  it  produces  the  dynamic,  mediately  as  we  have  just  sta- 
ted by  means  of  the  static  on  the  Atmosphere.  These  effects 
are  much  more  distinctly  marked  in  Winter  than  in  Summer,  or 
at  any  other  season.  In  Winter,  a  week  or  ten  days  before  the 
occurrence  of  a  planetary  equinox,  a  high  barometer  makes  its 
appearance,  unusually  energetic  and  accompanied  by  a  down- 
pour and  out-pour  of  intensely  cold  air,  continuing  down  to  with- 
in a  few  days  of  the  occurrence  of  the  equinox.  Then  there  is 
a  fall  of  the  barometer  and  consequently  a  rise  of  temperature, 
culminating  in  the  sweeping  of  a  storm  centre  across  the  conti- 
nent on  the  day,  or  a  day  or  so  before,  the  equinox.  This  storm 
centre,  bearing  rain,  sleet  or  snow,  and  accompanied  with  more 
or  less  energetic  winds,  is  succeeded  by  another  high  barometer, 
with  intensely  cold  weather.  The  general  influence  of  Mars,  so 
far  as  I  have  been  able  to  determine  it,  seems  to  be,  in  Winter 
and  Spring,  to  intensify  and  prolong  the  normal  static  Winter 


condition  on  continents.  Consequently  there  is  a  prevalence  of 
high  barometers,  with  their  down-pours  of  cold  air  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  Atmosphere.  Hence,  during  the  prevalence  of  his 
influence,  rainfalls  in  Winter,  and  frequently  in  Spring  also,  are 
below  the  average.  During  Summer  and  Autumn  he  seems  to 
intensify  and  protract  the  prevalence  of  the  normal  dynamic  state 
prevalent  in  Summer  on  continents,  and  hence  the  rainfalls  then 
generally  show  a  large  excess.  I  attribute  the  prolonged  cold 
weather  of  March,  April,  and  greater  part  of  May,  and  even  a 
part  of  June,  of  the  present  year  (1875),  to  his  influence  in  pro- 
tracting the  Winter  static  condition.  After  the  dynamic  Sum- 
mer condition  had  become  well  established,  by  infusing  more 
than  ordinary  energy  into  it,  he  contributed  his  influence  in  pro- 
ducing the  abnormal  quantities  of  rain  that  have  fallen  in  June 
and  July,  up  to  this  writing. 

In  mid-winter,  while  calculating  the  planetary  equinoxes  for 
the  current  year,  the  crowding  of  so  many  of  them  into  June 
and  the  early  part  of  July,  plainly  showed  that  there  would  be 
a  turbulent  season  at  this  time  with  heavy  rainfalls.  A  few 
weeks  later  I  published  what  I  foresaw  would  be  the  consequen- 
ces of  such  an  extraordinary  conjunction  But  not  having  taken 
into  consideration  the  Martial  influence,  my  anticipations  fell  far 
short  of  the  reality.  There  was  also  another  factor  I  had  not  con- 
sidered, namely,  that  a  Saturnian  perturbation  has  been  in  pro- 
gress since  the  latter  part  of  last  year,  which  will  culminate 
in  December,  1877. 

The  special  phenomena  of  Mars  that  have  occurred  near  his 
only  equinox  on  which  we  have  made  observation,  namely,  that 
of  April  3oth,  1875,  and  which  were  either  produced  directly  by 
him,  or  indirectly  through  the  intervention  of  other  planets,  are 
Cyclones  and  Earthquakes  ;  the  latter  owing  probably  to  the  in- 
fluence of  Saturn.  The  former  have  not  exhibited  any  extraor- 
dinary degree  of  violence  ;  but  some  of  the  latter  have  been 
terrific. 

The  storm  of  2ist  to  25th  of  April,  generated  by  the  Mercu- 
rial equinox  of  2ist,  initiated  a  series  of  storms  following  each 
other  in  regular  succession,  until  four  or  five  days  after  the  Vul- 
canian  equinox  of  May  2d.  We  have  already  stated  that  the 
storm  of  2ist  of  April,  in  its  way  to  the  northeast,  became,  in 


034) 

the  Chesapeake  Bay,  the  severest  hurricane  of  the  season.  It 
was  followed  on  the  26th  by  another  storm  that  was  attended 
along  its  whole  path  over  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Tennessee,  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia,  with  heavy  rains.  On  the  zSth  this  was 
followed  by  a  storm  from  the  Indian  Territory  to  the  Great 
Lakes,  thence  down  the  Valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  accompan- 
ied by  "  steep  barometric  gradients,"  and  consequently  very  high 
winds,  and  with  protracted  rain  and  snow  falls.  The  winds  in 
the  Ohio  Valley  assumed  a  decided  cyclonic  character  ;  and  at 
Erie,  Pennsylvania,  many  buildings  were  unroofed.  At  the  close 
of  the  month  another  storm  appeared  in  the  Northwest.  It  was 
central  in  Illinois  on  May  ist.  It  gave  rise  to  local  tornadoes 
from  the  Northwest  to  the  Lakes,  thence  South  into  the  Gulf 
States  and  Georgia.  On  the  middle  Atlantic  coast  it  produced 
destructive  gales.  It  was  immediately  succeeded  by  another 
storm  from  the  West,  and  on  the  4th  followed  by  a  severe  storm 
which  on  the  6th  produced  a  remarkable  hailstorm  in  North 
Carolina. 

The  earthquakes  that  occurred  in  the  early  part  of  May  in. 
Asia  and  the  East  Indies,  occurred  two  days  after  the  Vulcanian 
equinox  of  May  2cl ;  and  those  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  three 
days  after  another  Vulcanian  equinox.  The  earthquake  in  the 
Ohio  Valley,  the  Lake  Region,  and  westward,  on  June  iSth,  oc- 
curred the  day  after  a  Vulcanian  equinox.  The  earthquake  that 
occurred  on  the  I5th  of  May,  at  Milton,  Massachusetts,  ElMonte, 
California,  and  which  wrought  such  terrible  disaster  at  Cacuta, 
and  other  cities  in  South  America,  must  be  considered  as  a  Mar- 
tial phenomena,  owing  in  degree  to  the  strength  that  the  Saturn- 
ian  perturbation  has  already  acquired. 

Every  planet  has  yet  wonderful  revelations  to  make,  and  when 
all  has  been  revealed,  those  of  Mars  will  not  be  the  least  mar- 
velous in  the  catalogue. 

THE  VULCANIAN  CYCLE. 

I  have  now  come  to  the  only  point  that  is  vulnerable,  if  any 
point  is,  in  the  Theory  of  Planetary  Meteorological  Cycles  ;  be- 
cause it  is  the  only  point  that  is  not  based  upon  ascertained  facts- 
It  takes  it  for  granted  that  there  is  an  interior  planet  between 
Mercury  and  the  Sun,  whose  position  has  enabled  him  to  conceal 


('35) 

himself  so  well  that  with  many  his  existence  is  yet  problemati- 
cal. If  the  existence  of  Vulcan  be  admitted,  then  the  deduc- 
tions we  have  made,  taken  in  connection  with  the  facts  that  we 
will  adduce  to  demonstrate  and  verify  them,  will  be  irrefragable. 

Astronomers  are  well  acquainted  with  the  fact  that  Mercury, 
in  his  orbital  movements,  exhibits  perturbations  that  cannot  be 
accounted  for  upon  any  other  hypothesis  than  the  existence  of  an 
interior  planet  between  him  and  the  Sun,  just  as  the  orbital  mo- 
tion of  Uranus  betrayed  the  existence  of  an  exterior  planet,  and 
led  to  the  discovery  of  Neptune.  Astronomers  for  a  long  time 
have  been  observing  and  studying  the  orbital  perturbations  of 
Mercury,  but  as  he  affords  only  so  few  and  such  short  opportu- 
nities for  observation,  not  much  progress  has  been  made  towards 
achieving  their  object,  which  is  to  ascertain  the  exact  position  of 
this  interior  planet,  that  it  may  be  observed  at  favorable  oppor- 
tunities, and  its  elements  determined.  They  supposed  by  this 
means  they  could  attain  sufficient  knowledge  at  least  to  enable 
them  approximately  to  determine  its  transit  across  the  Sun  ;  for 
that  seems  to  be  their  only  reliance  now  for  attaining  a  more 
certain  knowledge  of  its  elements.  Three  or  four  years  ago  they 
thought  they  had  sufficient  data  to  justify  them  in  expecting  a 
transit  at  or  near  the  Autumnal  equinox.  They  made  observa- 
tions accordingly,  but  were  disappointed. 

It  was  discovered  by  M.  Lescarbault,  a  physician,  on  March 
25th,  .1859.  I  had  the  good  fortune  of  seeing  it  make  a  transit 
a  few  days  after  the  Autumnal  equinox  of  that  year,  but  did  not 
then  know  of  Lescarbault's  discovery.  Without  reflecting  upon 
it  at  the  moment  I  supposed  it  to  be  Mercury,  and  it  was  several 
weeks  after  before  it  occurred  to  me  that  a  transit  of  Mercury  at 
that  season  was  an  impossibility.  I  then  made  a  record  as 
near  as  I  could,  of  the  date,  and  its  apparent  size  I  recorded  as 
2,\  inches  in  diameter.  As  this  would  give  it  an  enor- 
mous size,  I  have  since  got  those  who  also  saw  it,  to  give  me 
their  impressions  as  to  its  size,  I  find  they  vary  from  mine  a 
quarter  of  an  inch,  some  placing  it  that  much  more,  and  others 
that  much  less.  Probably  all  these  apparent  sizes  are  too  great, 
but  they  nevertheless  clearly  establish  one  thing,  that  the  planet 
is  of  gigantic  dimensions,  and  hence  from  its  size  and  the  "en- 
ergy of  its  position,"  so  near  the  Sun,  the  unavoidable  inference 


is,  that  it  must  exert  a  powerful  influence  at  its  equinoxes  upon 
the  Earth  and  the  Atmosphere. 

There  is  no  reasonable  doubt  as  to  the  existence  of  this  planet, 
but  nothing  is  known  as  to  the  length  of  its  periodicity.  On  this 
point  there  are  mere  guesses  running  from  18  days  up  to  55 
days.  As  far  as  I  had  means  of  investigating,  I  could  find  no 
foundation  for  these  guesses.  I  was  hence  compelled  to  fall 
back  upon  my  own  resources  for  determining  this  point,  which  I 
had  every  confidence  could  be  done  at  least  approximately  by 
consulting  facts.  With  this  view  I  made  a  classification  of 
all  individual  phenomena  that  had  occurred  in  five  years,  into 
Jovial,  Martial,  Telluric,  Venusian,  Mercurial,  and  Unknown. 
The  Unknown  class  consisted  chiefly  of  Cyclones,  but  there  were 
many  auroras,  some  earthquakes  and  sunspots.  I  now  ascer- 
tained the  number  of  days  between  the  occurrence  of  the  first 
phenomenon  in  the  Unknown  class  and  that  of  the  second  ;  be- 
tween the  first  and  the  third  ;  the  second  and  the  third  ;  etc.,  and 
then  reduced  these  numbers  to  their  prime  factors.  Many  of  them 
came  out  23,  a  prime  number  ;  and,  strangely  too,  23  was  the  great- 
est common  divisor  of  a  majority  of  the  numbers,  and  those  that 
were  not  exactly  divisible  by  it  were  only  a  day  or  two  in  excess,  or 
that  many  deficient.  By  comparison,  I  also  found  that  if  23  be 
taken  as  a  phenomenal  cycle,  it  cut  in  at  the  point  and  carved  out 
nine-tenths  of  the  most  violent  and  terrific  phenomena  in  the  Jov- 
ial, Telluric,  and  Venusian  classes.  Hence  I  assumed  that  23  days 
was  either  the  length  of  Vulcan's  period,  or  half  his  period. 
The  truth  of  this  deduction — or  if  preferred,  assumption — we 
will  now  proceed  to  demonstrate  and  verify. 

In  the  month  of  December,  1784,  and  January,  1785,  there 
occurred  in  Iceland  the  most  tremendous  volcanic  eruption  ever 
recorded  in  history.  "It  commenced  on  the  i9th  of  December, 
and  was  accompanied  by  violent  wind  and  rain,  and  darkness  in 
the  heavens.  The  whole  island  shook  terribly,  and  it  was  feared 
it  would  fall  to  pieces.  Three  fire-spouts  broke  out  on  Mount 
Skapta,  which,  after  rising  to  a  considerable  height  in  the 
air,  formed  a  torrent  of  red-hot  lava,  that  flowed  for  six  weeks, 
and  ran  a  distance  of  60  miles  to  the  sea,  in  a  broken  breadth  of 
nearly  twelve  miles  ;  12  rivers  were  dried  up  ;  21  villages  totally 
overwhelmed  by  fire  or  water,  and  34  others  materially  injured." 


(-37) 

Jupiter's  equinox  had  occurred  a  little  over  two  years  before, 
and  therefore  exercised  no  influence  in  the  production  of  this 
terrible  physical  convulsion.  Saturn  also  was  out  of  the  way  ; 
and  unless  Uranus  or  Neptune  (of  which  I  have  made  no  exam- 
ination) lent  their  influence,  it  was  entirely  the  production  ot 
Venus,  Mercury  and  Vulcan.  The  equinox  of  Venus  occurred 
on  the  iyth  of  January,  1785  ;  that  of  Mercury  on  the  27th  of 
December,  1784;  and  that  of  Vulcan  on  the  2ist  of  December, 
or  two  days  after  the  eruption  commenced.  On  the  I3th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1785,  Vulcan,  in  course,  added  another  equinox.  It  is 
plain  that  he  not  only  was  the  exciting  cause,  but  that  he  infused 
new  energy  into  it  four  days  before  the  occurrence  of  the  Venus- 
ian  equinox. 

In  Part  I  we  have   demonstrated   that  Nature,  to   provide   for 
the  wants  of  vegetable  life,  has  contrived  the  admirable  arrange- 
ment of  a  low  barometer  during  Summer  in  the  centres  of  con- 
tinents,  to  draw   and  suck  into   its  upheaving  vortical  column, 
moist  air  from  the  surrounding  oceans,  to  form  clouds  and  rain. 
Whilst  speaking  of  Mars,  we  have  just  stated  that,   during  the 
prevalence  of  either  a  static  or  dynamic  condition,  the  influence 
of  the  planet  is  to  intensify  it.     It   consequently  follows   that  a 
continent  then  acts  more  energetically,  under  one  state  it  draws 
down  more  copious  supplies  of  air  from  above,  and  under  that 
of  the  other,  heaves  up  larger  volumes  of  it  than  under  ordinary 
circumstances.     Hence,  when  the  state  is  dynamic — as  it  always 
is  in  Summer,  and  sometimes  in  Winter — more  moist  air  than 
ordinarily  is  drawn  from  the  surrounding  oceans  into  the  heart 
of  the  continent ;  and  consequently  heavier  rainfalls  than  usual 
are  to  be  expected.     Vulcan's  size  and  position  near  the  Sun, 
give  him  terrific  energy  which  he   never   fails  to  display  at  his 
allotted  time.     One  of  the  consequences  naturally  following  the 
powerful    influences   he   exerts    at  one   of  his  equinoxes,    must 
therefore   be   copious   rains ;   a   sequence  that  has  most  lamen- 
tably been  illustrated  at  his  equinox  in  June,  and  as  we  are  writ- 
ing, at  that  of  July,    1875,  by  the  disastrous  floods  that  have  oc- 
curred in  all  parts  of  the  Globe.     Vulcan,  gigantic  in  size,  and 
fearfully  strong  in  position,  with  physical  laws  operating  such  as 
our  theory  postulates,  must  at  his  equinoxes  produce  just  such 
phenomena    as   the  world   has  witnessed  within  the    last  three 


('38) 

weeks.  Acting  singly,  his  phenomena  are  of  a  mild  type,  but 
when  other  planets  are  accessory,  the  phenomena  are  fearful  and 
terrific.  The  following  will  show  his  influence  upon  rainfalls  : 

On  the  6th  of  September,  1801,  M.  Flanguerges  obtained  at 
Viviers  14^  English  inches  of  rainwater  in  18  hours.  Venus 
passed  her  equinox  August  29th,  iSoi.  Vulcan  and  Mercury 
both  on  September  2d,  1801. 

The  following  fact  we  present,  though  not  exactly  in 
point,  because  we  want  it  on  record,  as  it  may  lead  to  the 
discovery  of  a  new  point,  in  the  enlargement  and  perfec- 
tion of  the  theory ;  we  want  it  upon  record  for  another 
reason  :  for  on  several  occasions  we  have  found  similar  facts. 
The  only  interpretation  I  can  at  present  put  on  these  facts  is, 
that  Vulcan's  periodicity  may  be  23  days,  instead  of  46  ;  conse- 
quently there  will  be  only  an  interval  of  1 1 J  days  between  his  equi- 
noxes. The  characteristics  of  this  class  of  facts  is  that  they  fall 
midway  between  Vulcan's  equinoxes  upon  the  assumption  that  his 
periodicity  is  46  days.  I  have  sometimes  thought  that,  like  Jupiter, 
he  may  produce  a  major  and  a  minor  disturbance,  and  that  so 
far  I  have  only  recognized  his  major  disturbance.  Besides  the 
possibility  of  involving  a  new  principle,  the  fact  bears  strong 
evidence  of  the  correctness  of  the  general  theory.  It  was  first 
brought  to  the  attention  of  the  British  Association  in  1840,  by 
Prof.  Forbes  :  its  authenticity  being  questioned,  at  a  subsequent 
meeting,  he  brought  proof  of  the  correctness  of  his  former  state- 
ment, which  was,  that  on  October  24th  and  25th,  1822,  at  Genoa, 
30  inches  of  water  fell  in  24  hours.  The  planetary  equinoxes 
occurring  near  that  time  were  Vulcan,  October  i^th  and  Novem- 
ber 5th,  consequently  the  rainfall  was  exactly  intermediate. 
Mercury  October  i8th,  and  Venus  November  2oth. 

At  Geneva,  May  2oth,  1827,  there  were  six  inches  of  rainfall 
in  three  hours.  It  being  40  days  prior  to  the  occurrence  of  the 
next  Venusian  equinox,  we  consider  her  influence  null.  The 
equinox  of  Mercury  occurred  May  i7th,  and  that  of  Vulcan  May 
I9th,  1827,  the  phenomenon  was  Mercurial  and  Vulcanian,  fol- 
lowing the  latter's  equinox  within  24  hours.  At  Perth  four-fifths 
of  an  inch  of  rain  fell  in  half  an  hour,  on  August  3d,  1829. 
Vulcanian  equinox  August  2d  ;  Venusian  August  25th  ;  Mercu- 
rial August  3ist,  1829.  In  England,  "at  Market  Laverton,  &c., 


(139) 

hail  six  and  seven  feet  deep"  (drifted  we  suppose)  "fell  on  Sep- 
tember 2d,  1862,  doing  immense  damage  to  crops."  Vulcan's 
equinox  occurred  on  previous  day,  namely,  September  ist.  A 
Mercurial  equinox  occurred  five  days  previously,  namely,  Aug- 
ust 29th. 

Commander  Hall,  of  the  British  Navy,  thus  describes  a  typhoon 
that  occurred  at  Hong  Kong  on  July  2ist  and  22d,  1841  :  uFor 
days  previously  large  black  masses  of  clouds  appeared  to  settle 
on  the  hills  on  either  side  ;  the  atmosphere  was  extremely  sultry 
and  oppressive,  and  the  most  vivid  lightning  shot  incessantly 
along  the  dense  threatening  clouds,  and  looked  more  brilliant, 
because  the  phenomena  were  most  remarkable  at  night ;  while 
during  the  day,  the  threatening  appearances  were  moderated 
considerably,  and  sometimes  almost  entirely  disappeared.  The 
vibrations  of  the  mercury  in  the  barometer  were  constant  and 
rapid,  and  though  it  occasionally  rose,  still  the  improvement  was 
only  temporary;  a  storm  was  therefore  confidently  predicted. 
Between  seven  and  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  wind  was 
blowing  very  hard  from  the  northward,  or  directly  upon  the 
shores  of  Hong  Kong,  and  continued  to  increase  in  heavy  squalls 
hour  after  hour.  Ships  were  already  beginning  to  drive,  and 
the  work  of  destruction  had  commenced  on  every  side  ;  the  Chi- 
nese junks  and  boats  were-blown  about  in  all  directions,  and  one 
of  them  was  seen  to  founder  with  all  hands  on  board.  The  fine 
basin*  of  Hong  Kong  was  gradually  covered  with  scattered  wrecks 
of  the  war  of  elements  ;  planks,  spars,  broken  boats,  and  human 
beings  clinging  hopelessly  for  succor  to  every  treacherous  log, 
were  tossed  about  on  every  side  ;  the  wind  howled  and  tore  every- 
thing away  before  it,  literally  sweeping  the  face  of  the  waters. 
From  half-past  ten  to  half-past  two  the  hurricane  was  at  its  high- 
est, the  barometer  at  this  time  having  descended  to  28.50.  The 
air  was  filled  with  spray  and  salt,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to 
see  anything  that  was  not  close  at  hand  ;  the  wind  roared  and 
howled  fearfully,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  hear  a  word  that 
was  said.  Ships  were  now  drifting  foul  of  each  other  in  all  di- 
rections, masts  were  being  cut  away,  and  from  the  strength  of 
the  wind  forcing  the  sea  high  upon  the  shore,  several  ships  were 
driven  high  and  dry.  The  Chinese  were  all  distracted,  implor- 
ing their  gods  in  vain  for  help  ;  such  an  awful  scene  of  destruc- 


(140) 

tion  and  ruin  is  rarely  witnessed,  and  almost  every  one  was  so 
busy  in  thinking  of  his  own  safety,  as  to  be  unable  to  render 
assistance  to  any  one  else.  Hundreds  of  Chinese  were  drowned, 
and  occasionally  a  whole  family,  children  and  all,  floated  past 
the  ships,  clinging  in  apparent  apathy  (perhaps  under  the  influ- 
ence of  opium)  to  the  last  remnants  of  their  shattered  boats, 
which  soon  tumbled  to  pieces  and  left  them  to  their  fate.  On 
the  26th  another  typhoon  occurred,  but  not  so  severe  as  the 
first." 

As  this  cyclone  occurred  34  days  before  the  next  Venusian 
equinox,  the  latter  must  have  exercised  little  if  any  effect  upon 
it.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  Mercurial  equinox,  which 
occurred  on  August  2d.  It  hence  cannot  be  considered  as  influ- 
enced by  either.  A  Martial  equinox  however  occurred  about 
the  middle  of  June,  and  still  must  have  exercised  considerable 
influence.  Vulcan's  equinox  took  place  July  23d,  1841,  or  two 
days  after  the  commencement  of  the  typhoon. 

A  continued  gale  prevailed  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  with 
heavy  rain  from  the  Northeast,  from  Monday,  9th  of  September, 
1811,  to  10  A.  M.  on  Tuesday,  loth,  when  it  suddenly  changed 
to  Southeast.  At  noon  a  violent  tornado  struck  the  city,  passing 
from  Southeast  to  Northwest  in  a  line  100  yards  wide.  The 
centre  of  the  tornado  was  funnel-shape,  and  exhibited  a  lurid 
appearance,  shifting  its  position  rapidly.  Many  buildings  were 
destroyed  and  many  lives  lost ;  destruction  of  property  immense. 
It  was  a  spur  of  a  tropical  hurricane  then  prevailing  further 
South.  This  tornado  occurred  about  eight  months  before  the 
Jovial  equinox  of  1812,  and  twelve  days  before  the  Autumnal 
equinox.  Vulcan's  equinox  occurred  on  September  9th,  the  day 
of  the  commencement  of  the  storm. 

HURRICANE  OF  OCTOBER  20  TO  9TH,  1842. — We  quote  this 
storm  for  the  double  purpose  of  verifying  our  theory  and  illus- 
trating points  we  have  several  times  stated  heretofore,  namely, 
the  invariable  vicinage  of  a  high  barometer  to  a  storm  centre,  or 
low  barometer  ;  and  that  high  and  low  barometers  mutually  repel 
each  other.  This  was  a  pure  Telluric  and  Vulcanian  phenom- 
enon ;  Vulcan's  equinox  occurring  October  3d,  the  day  after  the 
hurricane  was  first  observed,  which  was  at  Tampico,  Mexico, 
on  October  2d,  where  it  seems  to  have  originated.  On  the  4th 


(140 

it  was  off  Balize  ;  on  the  5th  it  covered  a  large  part  of  peninsu- 
lar Florida,  central  a  short  distance  north  of  Tampa  Bay  ;  6th, 
at  St.  Augustine  and  Charleston  ;  and  on  the  9th  at  Bermuda. 
Immense  numbers  of  sea  and  land  birds  were  killed  and  were 
found  floating  in  the  sea.  Mr..  L.  Blodgett, — whose  account  of 
it  we  follow, — states  these  three  additional  and  important  facts, 
namely,  the  hurricane  went  in  a  more  easterly  direction  than 
usual ;  that  there  was  a  very  high  barometer,  30.10  to  30.46,  from 
the  4th  to  the  yth,  at  New  York ;  and  that  the  progress  of  the 
storm  was  less  than  ten  miles  per  hour.  These  facts  prove 
three  points  I  have  repeatedly  presented,  namely,  (i)  the  inva- 
riable vicinage  of  a  high  to  a  low  barometer  to  feed  it,  that  is, 
to  supply  it  with  the  immense  amount  of  air  it  is  ejecting  through 
its  cyclonal  column  towards  the  sky  ;  (2)  that  when  either  a  high 
or  a  low  barometer  is  interposed  in  the  usual  route  of  its  oppo- 
site barometer,  the  latter  is  repelled,  the  effect  of  which  is  either 
to  drive  it  back,  or  to  swing  it  around  the  centre  of  the  inter- 
posed barometer ;  and  (3)  when  such  a  barometer  is  interposed 
the  movement  of  the  barometer  whose  route  is  foreclosed,  is  ex- 
tremely slow. 

The  usual  route  of  a  storm  from  the  Gulf,  is  northeast,  either 
by  the  Atlantic  coast  or  the  Gulf  Stream.  Both  these  routes 
were  closed  by  the  New  York  high  barometer,  hence  the  low 
barometer  or  storm  centre  was  deflected  out  of  its  usual  course, 
more  eastwardly  to  the  Bermudas.  Its  progress  was  extremely 
slow,  because  there  is  over  the  Sargasso  Sea,  southeast  of  the 
Bermudas,  a  permanent  high  barometer,  between  which  and  the 
New  York  high  barometer,  the  storm  centre  was  necessitated  to 
force  a  passage  northeastwardly. 

Berlandier  describes  a  hurricane  that  occurred  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Rio  Grande,  on  the  4th  of  August,  1844,  as  the  most  terrible 
and  destructive  of  any  upon  that  coast.  Not  a  vestige  of  a 
single  house  remained  at  Brazos  Santiago,  or  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  The  waters  of  the  sea  were  forced  up  three  leagues 
from  the  beach.  Vulcan's  equinox  occurred  on  the  ist  of  Aug- 
ust, and  Mercury's  on  the  4th  of  August — the  day  the  storm 
struck  the  coast.  As  this  storm  came  from  the  Caribbean  Sea, 
it  must  have  existed  several  days  before  it  struck  the  coast  of 
Texas,  and  is  a  joint  phenomenon  of  Vulcan  and  Mercury. 


(I42) 

One  of  the  most  terrible  and  destructive  tornadoes  that  has  oc- 
curred in  the  United  States,  occurred  at  Natchez,  Mississippi, 
on  the  7th  of  May,  1840.  It  was  a  nucleus  in  a  somewhat  gen- 
eral rain.  The  day  began  warm  and  cloudy,  with  wind  south, 
veering  to  east.  At  2.15  P.  M.,  the  sky  became  a  lurid  yellow ; 
the  storm  striking  the  river  six  or  seven  miles  below  the  city, 
did  not  reach  it  until  2  P.  M.  The  rush  of  wind  did  not 
last  five  minutes,  and  the  destructive  blast  only  a  few  seconds. 
Houses  were  burst  outward  5317  persons  were  killed  in  the  city 
and  on  the  river.  Sheet  tin  was  carried  20  miles,  and  windows 
30  miles. —  Tooley.  The  following  equinoxes  occurred  about  that 
time  :  Venus,  May  3oth,  or  23  days  after  ;  Mercury,  May  29th  ;  and 
Vulcan,  May  8th,  or  the  day  after  the  tornado.  The  Medford 
and  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  storm,  described  by  Brooks  and 
Eustis,  occurred  on  the  22d  of  August,  1851,  the  cloud  ex- 
hibited the  form  usually  of  an  inverted  cone,  though  at  other 
times  that  of  an  hour-glass,  that  is,  two  cones  joined  at  their 
apexes.  The  conical  point  let  down  from  the  cloud,  moved 
rapidly  about  at  short  distances,  now  pushing  down  to  the  Earth, 
and  now  rising  from  it.  Its  side  motions  were  compared  to 
those  of  an  elephant's  trunk.  This  action  was  like  the  descend- 
ing tube  in  a  nearly  completed  waterspout  at  sea.  Its  width 
was  from  fifty  to  seventy  rods,  and  its  forward  motion  nearly  fifty 
miles  per  hour ;  its  duration  not  over  six  seconds.  Its  destruc- 
tion was  unusual  in  respect  to  the  crushing  of  objects  in  its  path  ; 
panes  of  glass  were  perforated  and  fused  by  electric  discharges, 
and  other  evidences  of  intense  electric  action  were  exhibited. 
Vulcan's  equinox  occurred  on  August  22d,  the  day  of  the  storm. 

On  the  1 5th  of  December,  1851,  two  enormous  waterspouts, 
accompanied  by  a  terrific  hurricane,  swept  over  Sicilly  ;  they 
were  described  as  follows  by  those  who  witnessed  them.  "  Two 
immense  cylindrical  columns  of  water  depended  from  the  clouds, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  apart,  their  points  nearly  touching  the 
Earth,  and  moving  with  immense  velocity."  They  passed  over 
the  island  near  Marsala.  In  their  progress,  houses  were  un- 
roofed, trees  uprooted  and  carried  away ;  men,  women  and 
children,  horses,  cattle  and  sheep  were  raised  up,  drawn  into 
the  vortex,  and  borne  on  to  destruction.  During  their  passage 
across  the  island,  rain  descended  in  cataracts,  accompanied  with 


043) 

hailstones  of  an  enormous  size  ;  and  even  masses  of  ice.  Going 
over  Castellamare,  near  Stabia,  it  destroyed  half  the  town,  and 
washed  over  200  of  the  inhabitants  into  the  sea.  Altogether,  £joo 
persons  lost  their  lives,  and  an  immense  amount  of  property  was 
destroyed  ;  the  country  being  laid  waste  for  miles.  After  the 
storm,  many  bodies  were  picked  up  along  its  path  where  they 
had  been  carried  and  dashed  down  to  the  Earth,  frightfully 
mangled  and  mashed. 

From  1851  to  1874,  are  23  years  ;  now  every  23  years  the  equi- 
noxes of  Mercury  and  those  of  Vulcan  occur  on  the  same  days  of 
the  months.  By  reference  to  our  table  for  1874,  ^  w'1^  ^e  found 
that  Mercury's  equinox  occurred  on  the  loth,  and  Vulcan's  on 
the  I5th  of  December,  1874  ;  hence  they  did  the  same  in  1851, 
and  the  phenomenon  occurred  on  the  day  of  the  Vulcanian 
equinox. 

The  most  destructive  cyclone  ever  known  in  tropical  Asia 
occurred  on  the  5th  of  October,  1864.  About  ico  ships  were 
lost ;  and  over  60,000  persons  perished  ;  43,000  in  Calcutta  alone. 
It  was  accompanied  by  a  "bore"  on  the  Hooghly,  the  water  ris- 
ing 30  feet,  which  is  10  feet  higher  than  the  highest  spring  tides, 
whole  towns  were  nearly  destroyed.  It  indicated  its  approach 
for  several  days,  and  Capt.  Watson,  of  the  Clarence,  seeing  the 
barometer  falling,  knew  a  cyclone  was  approaching,  saved  his 
ship  by  steering  out  of  its  range.  Vulcan's  equinox  occurred  on 
October  ist,  1864,  and  that  of  Venus  September  i9th. 

Earth  curr  ".its  are  a  species  of  electric  phenomena  frequently 
observed  in  Winter  in  the  after  part  of  a  storm  centre  or  low 
barometer,  or  rather  in  the  front  part  of  the  very  high  barometer 
following  it,  which  brings  intensely  cold  weather. 

The  telegraph  wires,  in  the  dark,  glow  in  all  the  colors  of  the 
rainbow  ;  at  other  times  the  currents  pass  along  in  pulsations, 
accompanied  with  fantastic  flashes.  These  are  found  to  be  a 
part  of  the  phenomena  attending  planetary  equinoxes  ;  and  im- 
portant ones  they  are  too  ;  for  they  are  the  strongest  kind  of  cor- 
roborative proof  of  the  theory  of  the  electric  character  of  phy- 
sical phenomena  which  we  are  inculcating.  It  is  to  be  sincerely 
regretted  that  no  accurate  record  of  these  phenomena  is  kept, 
with  all  their  attendant  circumstances.  They  are  not  a  single 
letter  in  the  alphabet  by  which  Nature  spells  out  her  secrets  to 


Man,   but  they  are  a  full  formed  sentence  that  she  vouchsafes 
to  him  for  study  and  analysis. 

The  following  are  two  instances  in  which  the  phenomenon  was 
connected  with  a  Vulcanian  equinox.  The  facts  of  the  first 
were  collected  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Oilman.  We  extract  only  so  much 
as  is  appropos,  from  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Smithsonian  In- 
stitute, 1867.* 

"One  of  the  most  beautiful  electric  phenomena  imaginable 
was  witnessed  on  the  evening  of  the  9th  of  January,  1868,  in  the 
office  of  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Telegraph  Line,  Rochester,  N. 
Y.  Suddenly  it  was  discovered  that  neither  wire  would  work. 
A  continuous  current  of  Electricity  was  then  observed  to  be 
passing  over  the  wires  and  through  the  several  instruments,  and 
this  while  the  batteries  were  detached.  The  current  seemed  to 
be  of  the  volume  of  a  medium  sized  pipe  stem,  and  exhibited  the 
several  colors  of  the  rainbow.  With  the  key  open,  the  current 
flowed  in  waves  or  undulations ;  and  from  the  surcharged  wire, 
it  leaped  over  the  insulated  portions  of  the  key  and  passed  along 
the  wires  "beyond.  The  gas  of  the  office  was  lighted  without 
difficulty  by  holding  the  end  of  the  wire  within  an  inch  or  two 
of  the  gas  burner.  The  current  was  intense  enough  to  shock 
one  holding  the  wires,  or  instruments  ;  indeed  one  of  the  em- 
ployees of  the  office  had  his  fingers  scorched  by  the  current. 
With  closed  keys  the  current  was  continuous." 

Mr.  Oilman  continues :  From  B.  F.  Blackall,  Manager  of 
the  Company  at  Buffalo,  I  learn  as  follows  :  "At  4.30  P.  M., 
trouble  commenced — afterwards  located  between  Fulton  and  Syr- 
acuse— while  I  was  transmitting  a  telegram  to  New  York  over 
the  No.  i  wire ;  one  wire  being  broken,  rested  on  the 
ground,  and  the  western  end  hung  across  No.  2.  At  the  same 
instant  I  noticed  my  relay  surcharged  with  an  unusual  amount 
of  Magnetism.  Upon  opening  my  key, — which  we  usually  give 
the  sixteenth  of  an  inch  play, — discharges  of  Electricity,  averag- 
ing as  high  as  300  pulsations  a  minute  from  one  platina  point  to 
the  other  took  place  ;  and  the  nearer  I  placed  these  points,  the 
more  rapid  they  occurred.  The  current  was  passing  from  West  to 
East  through  the  key.  In  addition  there  was  a  current  about  the 
size  of  a  pin  flowing  from  the  core  of  the  helices  to  the  soft  piece 


*We  are  not  responsible  for  the  anachronism. 


045) 

of  iron  on  the  armature,  which  sounded  very  much  like  Electricity 
produced  by  friction  on  a  glass  cylinder,  when  passing  to  a  Ley  den 
jar.  The  writer  informs  me  that  he  has  witnessed  a  half 
dozen  similar  displays  during  the  past  14  years."  He  continues  : 
"From  C.  W.  Dean,  Manager  of  the  same  line,  at  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  I  learn  as  follows :  An  extraneous  current  made  it  impos- 
sible to  wrork  the  wire  on  January  9th  last.  It  was  first  noticed 
at  9  A.  M .,  when  the  current  grew  so  strong  that  No.  i  wire  was 
opened  to  Painesville,  30  miles  east.  This  did  not  help  it  in  the 
least.  I  judged  that  our  wires  were  crossed  with  those  of  the 
Western  Union,  and  that  we  were  getting  the  full  strength  of 
their  100  cups  of  battery.  One  thing  very  strange  was  that  the 
current  pulsated,  and  the  armature  of  the  magnet  disconnected 
from  the  battery  and  the  wire  open  east,  vibrated  like  a  pendu- 
lum." 

He  furthermore  says:  "From  J.  A.  Osborne,  Buffalo,  New 
York,  I  learn  that  the  wires  of  their  office  were  so  heavily 
charged  that  he  thought  certainly  they  were  crossed  by  the  West- 
ern Union  wires.  They  could  not  be  touched.  The  current 
passed  over  in  waves  ;  and  it  was  necessary  to  throw  the  instru- 
ments out  of  circuit  to  prevent  damage  to  them.  Fantastic 
streaks  flashed  across  the  wires.  At  one  time  a  continuous 
stream  of  fire  passed  off  which  lasted  for  four  or  five  seconds. 
At  Lockport  the  Electricity  set  fire  to  a  board  to  which  the 
wires  were  attached.  The  magnets  became  so  surcharged  with 
Electricity  that  when  the  wires  were  disconnected  the  armature 
remained  drawn  up  to  the  coils  for  full  three  quarters  of  an 
hour."  Mr.  Oilman  gives  the  following  as  the  state  of  the 
weather  at  the  time  :  "  Sky  clouded  at  Rochester,  Toronto  and 
Montreal,  and  storming." 

We  have  demonstrated  in  Part  I  that  high  and  low  barometers 
are  electric  phenomena,  and  that  a  high  barometer  is  a  descend- 
ing, and  low  barometer  an  ascending  current  of  Electricity.  We 
also  show  there  that  the  phenomenon  of  "  earth  currents"  is 
Electricity  flowing  from  an  area  of  high  to  an  area  of  low 
barometer ;  and  above  we  have  stated  that  the  phenomenon 
makes  its  appearance  in  the  after  part  of  a  low,  or  the  fore  part 
of  a  high  barometer,  which  on  account  of  its  more  than  ordinary 
energy  brings  intensely  cold  weather  with  it.  Prof.  Henry's 


(H6) 

note  to  Mr.  Oilman's  paper  says  :  "On  the  night  in  question  an 
aurora  is  noted  at  Independence,  Iowa,  and  a  heavy  snow  in 
Michigan.  A  wave  of  low  temperature  was  passing  from  West 
to  East,  from  the  yth  to  the  loth  of  January,  reaching  its  mini- 
mum in  the  State  of  New  York  on  the  9th  and  morning  of  the 
loth."  Now  any  one  who  has  watched  and  compared  the  read- 
ings of  the  mercurial  movements  in  the  barometer  and  thermom- 
eter, knows  that  to  say  that  "a  wave  of  low  temperature  was  mov- 
ing from  West  to  East,"  or  in  any  direction,  is  the  same  as  say- 
ing that  a  high  barometer  was  moving  in  that  direction.  Our 
proposition  therefore  is  verified  by  the  fact  stated  by  Prof.  Henry. 
By  referring  to  the  table  of  Planetary  Equinoxes  at  the  end  of  this 
volume  it  will  be  seen  that  Vulcan's  equinox  occurred  on  Janu- 
ary 9th,  1867,  the  day  of  the  phenomenon. 

According  to  newspaper  accounts,  on  the  afternoon  of  January 
8th,  1875,  intense  electric  currents  filled  the  telegraphic  wires 
from  Wyoming,  eastward  to  Iowa  ;  streams  of  fire  seeming  to 
flow  along  them  ;  and  when  open,  the  keys  were  either  surround- 
ded  by  a  halo  of  light,  or  discharging  so  rapidly  as  to  be  an  almost 
unbroken  stream  of  sparks.  In  the  centre  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley,  and  North,  a  general  snowstorm  prevailed,  and  rain  in 
the  Southern  States.  At  St.  Louis,  about  noon,  it  turned  in- 
tensely cold,  with  a  fierce  and  piercing  gale  from  the  northwest, 
the  front  of  an  approaching  very  high  barometer,  ushering  in  an 
intensely  cold  spell  of  weather.  By  reference  to  our  table  of 
equinoxes,  it  will  be  seen  that  Vulcan's  equinox  occurred  on  the 
day  previous,  January  yth.  The  Weather  Review  of  the  Signal 
Service  shows  the  following  to  have  been  the  condition  of  the 
weather  and  cotemporaneous  phenomena:  On  the  6th,  a  low 
barometer  announced  itself  in  the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States 
by  rainy  weather  and  northeasterly  winds.  Thunderstorms  pre- 
vailed in  Georgia.  It  was  not  until  the  yth  that  its  movement 
could  be  definitely  traced  ;  and  on  its  way  northeastward,  along 
the  coast,  it  became  a  dangerous  rain  and  snowstorm.  On  the 
morning  of  the  8th,  the  barometer  at  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  stood 
29.4  inches.  Rains,  sleet  and  snow,  principally  the  latter,  fell 
from  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  and  Lake  Huron,  eastward 
over  the  Lower  Lake  Region,  to  the  Middle  States,  thence 
northeast  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 


047) 

Storm  centre,  or  low  barometer,  No.  Ill,  developed  in  Oregon 
on  the  6th.  On  the  7th  it  appeared  in  the  Upper  Mississippi, 
and  was  central  at  St.  Paul  on  the  morning  of  the  Sth.  Its  ad- 
vance winds,  those  blowing  into  it  from  the  ocean,  became  dan- 
gerous on  the  coast  of  Maine,  and  northward.  It  was  closely 
followed  by  high  barometer  No.  3,  with  high  and  dangerous 
winds  blowing  into  it — the  low  barometer — from  the  west.  In 
Texas  this  caused  a  severe  "Norther  ;"  velocity  at  Indianola  52 
miles  per  hour ;  on  the  Lakes,  40  to  45  miles  ;  at  Cape  May,  40 ; 
Sandy  Hook,  67 ;  and  Eastport,  42  miles  per  hour.  Snow  ac- 
companied it  in  the  northern  sections,  and  light  rains  in  the 
Southern  States.  High  barometer  No.  3  made  its  appearance 
in  northwestern  Manitoba,  on  the  7th.  On  the  night  of  the  Sth 
it  was  at  North  Platte,  in  the  extreme  western  part  of  Nebraska. 
It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  electric  current  in  wires  from  the 
West,  in  the  afternoon  of  the  Sth,  was,  as  we  maintain,  a  trans- 
mission of  Electricity  by  an  earth  current  from  the  advancing 
high  to  the  retreating  low  barometer. 

As  it  is  now  over  three  years  since  in  writing  the  chapter  treat- 
ing on  this  subject  in  the  "Elements  of  Meteorology  "  we  first 
postulated  this  theory  of  electric  earth-currents,  we  may  as  well, 
since  the  matter  is  up  and  a  new  fact  at  hand,  produce  it  in  veri- 
fication of  the  theory.  In  the  Monthly  Weather  Review,  of 
January,  1875,  it  is  stated  that  the  observer  at  Santa  Fe,  New 
Mexico,  reports,  that  on  the  i5th  of  January,  an  extraordinary 
electric  storm  on  the  Telegraph  was  noticed  from  12  M.  to  3  P. 
M.  The  current  was  so  strong  that  the  line  could  not  be  worked  ; 
the  key  was  left  open  and  most  of  the  time  was  surrounded  by  a 
ring  of  fire.  The  Review  states  that  this  was  during  the  passage 
of  low  barometer  No.  VII*  that  this  happened.  Storm  centre 
No.  VII,  in  consequence  of  high  barometer  No.  5  covering 
Ohio  and  the  region  eastward,  was  deflected,  and  took  the  ab- 
normal direction  from  the  Northwest  to  the  Southeast,  and  in 
some  part  of  its  course  even  west  of  South.  At  noon  of  the 
i5th  it  was  nearly  due  east  of  Santa  Fe,  and  the  latter  locality 
was  falling  under  the  influence  of  high  barometer  No.  6,  then 

*NOTE — The  Review  says  No.  VIII,  which  evidently  is  a  typographical 
error,  since  that  low  barometer  did  not  appear  until  the  i9th,  four  days 
after,  and  then  in  Oregon. 


(148) 

appearing  in  Wyoming.  That  this  was  the  case  I  adduce  the 
facts  stated  by  Prof.  Loomis  before  the  National  Academy  of 
Science  at  Washington.  His  statement  in  substance  is  as  fol- 
lows;  "At  Denver,  January  i4th,  1875,  the  thermometer,  with 
a  variable  northeast  wind,  had  been  below  zero  all  day."  Before 
quoting  further  we  will  remark  the  cause  of  this  cold  northeast 
wind  at  Denver  was  high  barometer  No.  5,  then  covering  Ne- 
braska, consequently  sending  out  flows  of  cold  air  in  all  direc- 
tions from  its  centre.  Professor  Loomis  continues :  "At  9  P. 
M.  the  thermometer  was  one  degree  above  zero.  The  wind  then 
shifted  suddenly  to  the  Southwest  at  9.15,  and  the  thermometer 
stood  at  20  °  ;  at  9.20  P.  M.  at  27  °  ;  at  9.30  at  36  °  ;  at  9.35  at 
40  °  ;  after  which  there  was  little  change,  till  near  noon  next  day, 
January  1 5th,  when  with  afresh  Southwest  wind  it  rose  till  11.30 
A.  M.,  when  it  stood  at  52  °  .  The  ivind  then  suddenly  backed 
to  Northeast  and  at  12.30  P.  M.  the  thermometer  had  fallen  to 
4  °  above  zero." 

Now,  what  is  the  explanation  of  all  these  extraordinary  facts? 
A  few  moments  examination  of  the  relative  positions,  at  that 
time,  of  the  synchronous  high  and  low  barometers,  as  shown 
upon  Map  I,  of  Monthly  Weather  Review  for  January,  will 
make  it  so  plain  that,  "  he  who  runs  may  read."  High  barome- 
ter No.  5,  that  had  been  pouring  out  its  cold  air  over  Colorado, 
had,  at  the  hour  of  the  change  of  wind,  passed  over  the  Mis- 
souri River,  south  of  Omaha,  into  southern  Iowa.  Low  barom- 
eter No.  VII,  advancing  from  the  northwest,  was  now  in  Wyo- 
ming. An  inpour  of  air  into  it  was  necessitated  from  the  near- 
est high  barometer,  probably  situated  in  southern  Arizona,  or  it 
may  be,  in  Mexico  ;  this  brought  about  a  sudden  change  of 
temperature.  This  warm  outpour  of  air  continued  to  flow  until 
low  barometer  No.  VII  had  passed.  But  it  is  closely  followed 
by  high  barometer  No.  6,  from  the  northwest,  now  already  in 
Wyoming.  Consequently,  a  sudden  swing  of  the  wind  takes 
place  from  the  warm  outpour  of  a  southern  high  barometer,  to 
that  of  the  gelid  outpour  from  a  northern  high  one  coming  up 
from  the  Arctic  Circle  and  drawing  its  supply  of  air  thence. 

Now,  mark  it,  at  12.30  P.  M.  this  cold  outpour  of  the  advanc- 
ing Arctic  high  barometer  had,  in  less  than  one  hour,  lowered 
the  temperature  of  the  Atmosphere  at  Denver  48  °  ,  for  at  11.30 


A.  M.  it  stood  52  °  .  Now,  it  is  precisely  at  12  M.  on  that  day 
that  the  electric  current  in  the  wires  is  discovered  at  Santa  Fe. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  theory  we  have  advanced  con- 
cerning these  earth  currents  is  the  true  one ;  for  as  far  as  we  had 
opportunity  and  data  for  investigation,  the  facts  invariably  have 
verified  it.  We  think  this  a  point  of  the  highest  importance  in 
our  general  theory ;  hence  we  could  not  pass  by  a  fact  so  point- 
edly confirming  it,  without  availing  ourselves  of  its  testimony. 
For  be  it  known,  that  whatever  proximate  causes,  such  as  high 
and  low  barometers,  planetary  equinoxes,  etc.,  we  may  assign  for 
physical  phenomena,  we  hold  the  ultimate,  or  the  cause  of  causes 
to  be  Electricity.  Hence  we  consider  it  all  times  in  order  to  ad- 
duce a  fact  when  we  have  one  that  establishes  our  fundamental 
principle,  namely,  that  Electricity  is  the  cause  and  common  bond 
of  union  between  physical  phenomena.  Here  was  a  fact  that 
not  only  proved  this,  but  it  did  more,  it  showed  that  high  and 
low  barometers  are  parts  of  an  inseparable  couple  or  pair,  and 
that  Electricity  is  the  bond  of  union  between  the  parts. 

We  here  repeat  in  substance  what  we  have  said  in  Part  I  on 
this  point :  that  Electricity  is  a  polar  force.  It  developes  in  pairs  ; 
as  it  cannot  exist  singly,  so  it  cannot  act  singly.  It  therefore 
follows  of  necessity  wherever  there  is  electric  action,  the  phe- 
nomena cannot  be  simple,  but  must  be  duple.  One  part  of  it 
must  be  in  one  state,  and  the  other  part  in  the  opposite  state. 
The  negative  state  always  exists  on  the  surface  of  the  Earth, 
and  the  positive  on  the  clouds  and  Atmosphere.  But  both  of 
these  states  may  be  alternately  static  and  dynamic.  When 
the  negative  state  on  the  Earth  is  static,  it  draws  down,  or  rather 
compels  the  dynamic  on  the  Atmosphere  to  pour  down  upon  it 
an  immense  column  of  oppositely  electrified  air,  creating  as  it 
were  in  the  ariel  ocean  an  immense  maelstrom.  This  descend- 
ing column  of  air  causes  what  is  popularly  called  a  high  barom- 
eter. When  the  static  is  on  the  Atmosphere,  it  draws  up,  or 
rather  compels  the  dynamic  on  the  surface  of  the  Earth  to 
throw  up  an  immense  column  of  negatively  electrified  air.  This 
produces  the  phenomenon  commonly  called  a  low  barometer. 
Low  barometers  and  high  barometers  therefore  are  parts  of  elec- 
tric couples  in  the  phenomena  not  only  of  atmospheric  circu- 
lation, but  in  the  distribution  of  rain  and  sunshine  over  the 


Globe  ;  and  here  we  find  in  these  Earth  currents  Electricity,  as. 
might  be  anticipated,  flowing  from  the  high  to  the  low  barome- 
ter. 

After  this  long  digression,  let  us,  like  the  French,  say:  ''Rc- 
venons  a  nos  moutons"  which  is  to  verify  the  Vulcanian  Cycle- 
On  the  23d  of  December,  1854,  a  severe  and  destructive  earth- 
quake occurred  at  Jecldo,  or  Yeddo,  the  capital  of  Japan.  On 
the  nth  of  November,  1855,  another,  and  the  most  terrible 
earthquake  ever  experienced  in  those  Islands  occurred.  "During 
it,  57  temples  and  100,000  houses  were  destroyed,  and  over  30,000 
persons  lost  their  lives.'' — {Haydn.)  Since,  in  every  23d  year, 
Vulcan's  equinoxes  occur  on  the  same  day  of  the  month,  there- 
fore the  sums  of  1854x23  and  1855x23  show  that  the  Vulcanian 
equinoxes' of  the  years  1854  and  1855  were  on  the  same  days  of 
the  months  as  they  will  be  in  the  years  1877  and  1878.  By  in- 
spection of  the  table'  of  equinoxes  in  Appendix,  it  will  be  seen 
that  an  equinox  of  Vulcan  occurred  on  the  24th  of  December, 
1854,  or  the  day  following  the  first  earthquake,  and  that  a  Vul- 
canian equinox  occurred  on  the  nth  of  November,  1855,  or  on 
the  very  day  of  the  terrible  catastrophe. 

Mr.  Nicholas  Pike,  United  States  Consul  at  Port  Louis,  gives, 
an  account  of  a  hurricane  the  United  States  steamer  Monocacy 
encountered  in  a  passage  from  Simon's  Bay,  South  Africa,  to 
Mauritius,  from  which  we  extract  the  following  "The  whole 
of  our  passage,  since  leaving  Simon's  Bay,  had  been  a  succes- 
sion of  bad  weather,  and  a  few  sunny  days,  which  we  in  reality 
had,  were  to  both  officers  and  men  a  veritable  blessing ;  sails 
were  repaired,  clothes  dried  and  mended,  and  the  decks  for  the 
first  time  quite  dry,  resounded  with  the  joyous  laughter  of  the 
crew.  But  their  joy  was  of  short  duration."  This  was  in  the 
early  part  of  January,  1867.  If  the  reader  will  refer  to  our  table 
he  will  find  that  a  Mercurial  equinox  had  occurred  December 
27th,  1866,  and  therefore  the  narrative  relates  what  took  place  in 
the  interval  between  the  Mercurial  equinox  and  a  Vulcanian 
which  occurred  on  the  6th  of  January,  1867,  in  fact  on  the  eve 
of  the  latter.  Mr.  Pike  continues:  "On  the  evening  of  the  6th 
of  January,  the  sky  became  gloomy,  dark  and  threatening  clouds- 
passed  swiftly  to  the  northward,  the  sea  rose  fast,  and  the  vessel 
commenced  to  roll  heavily,  bedding  and  clothes  were  quickly- 


(14*) 

taken  below  and  everything  secured  for  bad  weather  again.  The 
night  from  the  6th  to  7th  of  January,  fully  justified  our  anticipa- 
tions ;  heavy  blasts  of  wind,  rain  and  lightning,  the  rolling  of 
the  vessel,  the  cracking  of  her  timbers,  and  the  thundering  noise 
of  a  wave  breaking  under  the  vessel's  counter,  made,  I  may 
safely  say,  even  the  oldest  seaman  on  board  uncomfortable  ;  es- 
pecially as  the  vessel  being  new,  and  her  seaworthiness  to  all, 
even  the  Captain,  unknown,  we  had  not  the  confidence  in  her 
with  which  her  gallant  behavior  afterwards  during  the  following 
gale  inspired  us  all ;  sails  were  reduced,  or  partly  so,  by  the  aid 
of  the  storm,  the  flapping  of  the  canvass,  torn  to  ribbons  by  the 
rage  of  the  tempest,  the  loud  thunder,  the  occasional  flashes 
of  lightning,  the  rising  of  a  tremendous  wave,  showing  first  its 
white  foaming  crest  far  off  in  the  horizon,  and  then  drawing 
nearer  and  nearer,  till  you  might  almost  fancy  it  would  instantly 
engulf  us,  but  our  gallant  ship  rose  nobly  to  the  crest  of  the  surge. 
All  this  was  a  spectacle  wild  and  fearful  to  behold,  but  in  its 
very  wildness,  grand  and  sublime.  The  men  worked  hard, 
sending  down  masts  and  yards,  repairing  or  bending  the  storm- 
sails,  or-  standing  at  the  pumps,  knee-deep  in  water  that  washed 
unceasingly  over  the  decks.  Daylight  showed  us  at  last  the  ex- 
tent of  damage  the  vessel  had  sustained.  The  paddle-boxes,  the 
round-houses  were  smashed  in  and  washed  away  ;  the  rail  for- 
ward was  stove  in,  and  the  heavy  one  inch  iron  plates  were  bent 
double  ;  ring-bolts,  to  which  the  heavy  pivot  guns  were  secured, 
started  from  the  deck,  and  the  guns  threatened  with  each  roll  to 
break  adrift  from  their  lashings ;  a  temporary  lull  in  the  gale 
gave  us  time  to  secure  them,  and  repair  damages  a  little.  Eve- 
rybody hoped  for  good  weather,  as  the  heavy  rain  which  fell 
during  five  hours  beat  down  the  sea  considerably.  But  on  the 
evening  of  the  7th  the  storm  commenced  again.  A  red  lurid 
light  spread  all  over  the  sky,  and  shortly  after  the  setting  of  the 
Sun,  the  ocean  became  furious  once  more.  A  tremendous  sea, 
breaking  over  the  starboard  bow,  swept  everything  before  it, 
tearing  away  the  gratings  of  the  hatches,  breaking  the  after  skv- 
lights,  and  rushing  down  into  the  wardrobe  and  cabin,  floating 
and  drenching  everything  and  everybody.  The  tiller  ropes  hav- 
ing been  carried  away,  paying  oft'  before  the  wind,  became  un- 
manageable ;  the  guys  of  the  smokestack  having  broken,  it  was 


feared  that  the  heavy  mass  of  iron  would  descend  upon  us,  smash- 
ing everything ;  the  ship  then  coming  to  again  filled  her  decks 
•with  water,  and  leaning  over  to  port  remained  so  long  in  that 
position  that  even  the  stoutest  hearts  quailed,  and  anxiously 
counted  the  seconds,  till  at  last  the  ship  rose  gallantly  again  on 
the  crest  of  the  next  wave  ;  luckily  the  sea  had  stove  in  the 
lower  ports,  ,the  immense  quantity  of  water  found  a  ready  egress 
from  her  decks  ;  and  the  vessel,  lightened  of  her  weight,  rolled 
less  heavily  ;  new  wheel-ropes  were  rove,  and  the  storm  having 
spent  its  fury  abated  greatly.  A  little  before  six  o'clock  the  Sun 
rose  red  and  gloriously  in  the  East,  in  a  serene  and  cloudless 
sky." 

In  order  to  give  as  many  facts  in  verification  of  the  theory,  we 
will  condense  them  as  much  as  is  compatible  with  intelligibility. 

1866— June  i3th,  Vulcanian  equinox;  June  i5th,  hurricane  at 
Winona  ;  ryth,  hurricane  in  New  York  city. 

1867— Vulcanian  equinox  May  ist ;  tornado  at  Tuscaloosa,  Ala- 
bama, April  29th. 

Waterspout  in  Lake  Michigan  July  3 1  st.  Vulcanian  equinox 
August  i  st. 

1868 — March  i7th,  hurricane  at  Chatham,  Illinois,  and  storms 
generally  in  the  West.  Vulcan's  equinox  March  I9th. 

May  3d,  tornado  near  Muscatine,  Iowa ;  4th,  a  hurricane 
passed  from  Mississippi,  south  of  Columbus,  eastward  through 
Pickens  and  Tuscaloosa  counties,  Alabama.  Vulcan's  equinox 
May  4th. 

1869 — April  iSth,  severe  hailstorm  at  St.  Louis;  tornado  at 
Dubuque  and  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  Indianapolis,  etc.  Vul- 
can's equinox  April  I4th  ;  equinox  of  Venus  April  3Oth. 

May  28th — Tornado  at  Athens,  Ohio  ;  destructive  hailstorm  at 
Wheeling.  West  Virginia.  Vulcan's  equinox  May  3ist. 

1870 — Gales  on  Lakes  January  i7th.  Vulcan's  equinox  Jan- 
uary 1 5th. 

April  1 7th — A  severe  rain  and  snowstorm  from  the  northwest 
into  the  Gulf  States  ;  snow  at  St.  Louis  six  inches  deep ;  ther- 
mometer fell  to  27  °  ;  at  Springfield,  Missouri,  to  18°  ;  at  Ox- 
ford, Mississippi,  to  28  °  ;  cotton  and  corn  cut  down  even  with 
the  ground.  Vulcan's  equinox  April  i7th.  Severe  gales  and 
heavy  rains  in  Europe  on  the  I9th  of  April. 


October  i5th — Tornado  at  Milwaukee  ;  terrible  tornadoes  in 
Ohio  and  Kentucky.  2ist,  tornado  at  Belleville,  Ohio.  Vul- 
can's equinox  Oct.  iSth. 

1871 — The  phenomena  of  February  to  middle  of  March  have 
already  been  given.  March  zSth,  Vulcan's  equinox.  A  cyclone 
at  Auckland,  New  Zealand,  on  the  day  of  the  equinox. 

Vulcan's  equinox  April  2oth  ;  on  the  iSth  violent  hailstorm  at 
Leavenworth,  Kansas,  and  at  St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  accompanied 
with  terrific  winds,  rain,  thunder  and  lightning ;  same  day  a 
severe  hailstorm  at  Jackson,  Mississippi.  I9th,  a  severe  hail- 
storm at  St.  Louis,  and  in  Ohio  ;  and  an  earthquake  at  Oxford, 
North  Carolina ;  23d,  a  general  and  destructive  frost  over  the 
country. 

Vulcan's  equinox  May  I3th.  On  May  I4th,  destructive  tor- 
nado at  Mosinee,  Wisconsin,  followed  by  a  general  rain  of  nearly 
a  week's  duration. 

We  have  heretofore  given  all  the  Vulcanian  phenomena  from 
June  to  the  end  of  October,  1871,  in  the  phenomena  of  the  other 
planets,  except  the  following :  At  Vulcan's  equinox  of  July 
2ist,  a  large  sunspot  seen  for  several  days,  attained  its  maxi- 
mum on  the  2 1 st.  On  the  iyth,  terrible  thunder  and  lightning 
near  Burlingame,  Kansas,  all  vegetation  killed  for  20  to  30  yards 
around  where  it  struck.  2oth,  earthquake  at  Santiago,  Chili, 
and  a  general  earthquake  in  the  New  England  States. 

At  the  equinox  of  Vulcan,  Nov.  I3th,  1871,  the  following  phe- 
nomena appear  on  my  record :  A  very  brilliant  aurora  from 
midnight  to  daylight  in  the  morning  of  Nov.  loth,  and  again  at 
night.  On  the  same  day  intense  magnetic  disturbance  were  ob- 
served at  the  Observatory  at  Havana.  On  the  same  day  a  severe 
snow  storm  from  Lake  St.  Clair  to  Nova  Scotia,  extending  south 
over  Vermont,  New  Hampshire,  and  Maine.  On  the  i3th, 
severe  gales  in  Oregon,  very  destructive  to  shipping ;  general 
rain  and  snow  storm  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  with  violent  gales 
on  the  Lakes  and  Gulf.  November  1/j.th — A  violent  hurricane 
in  New  Jersey,  New  York  and  Boston,  doing  much  damage  both 
on  sea  and  on  land.  In  the  Signal  Office  Report  of  1872,  there 
is  a  minute  description  of  the  snow  storm  from  the  Northwest ; 
we  extract  the  following  items  :  Barometer  fell  .36  inch  at  Omaha 
from  the  nth  to  the  I2th  ;  temperature  rose  18  °  ,  and  rainfall  .7 


inch.  Leavenworth  barometer  on  nth,  30.4  inches,  on  the  I2thr 
29.95  inches;  temperature  rose  25°  ;  rainfall  i.i  inches.  St. 
Louis,  on  the  i2th,  barometer  30.38,  on  the  i3th,  29.9  inches; 
temperature  rose  15°  ;  1.94  inches  of  rainfall.  Chicago,  barom- 
eter on  the  1 2th,  30.48;  on  the  i3th,  29.66;  rain,  1.18  inches. 
Memphis,  barometer  on  the  i2th,  30.31,  fell  to  29.62  ;  rainfall  .5 
inch.  Similar  variations  took  place  in  the  Ohio  Valley  :  the  fol- 
lowing was  the  rainfall  at  the  principal  stations  :  Indianapolis, 
1.93  inches;  Louisville,  1.16,  and  Cincinnati,  2.21  inches.  At 
the  stations  along  Lake  Erie  the  barometer  fell  as  follows  :  At 
Detroit,  from  30.58  to  29.48  ;  at  Cleveland^  from  30.58  to  29.35  ; 
at  Buffalo,  from  30.62  to  29.23  ;  at  Rochester,  from  30.63  to 
29.25.  The  rainfall  at  these  stations  ranges  from  1.54  to  2.70 
inches.  The  paper  concludes  by  saying  that  this  was  the  sever- 
est storm  that  occurred  for  many  years  on  the  Lakes ;  and  that 
at  the  same  time  this  storm  was  on  the  Lakes,  another  storm  was 
moving  down  the  Atlantic  coast.  The  intensity  of  this  storm 
is  not  entirely  owing  to  Vulcanian  influence,  for  Jupiter's  per- 
turbation was  yet  at  its  height,  he  having  passed  his  equinox  only 
47  days  before. 

1872 — The  first  Vulcanian  equinox  in  this  year  occurred  Jan- 
uary 2ist,  1872.  A  Mercurial  equinox  having  occurred  three 
days  previous,  the  phenomena  at  this  period  are  complicated.  A 
very  large  sunspot  first  showing  itself  on  the  I3th,  attained  its 
largest  size  on  the  2ist.  At  many  of  the  physical  observatories 
in  both  the  Northern  and  Southern  Hemisphere,  strong  earth- 
currents  were  observed  during  this  time.  Earthquakes  were  fre- 
quent and  violent  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  On  the  i4th  and 
I5th  there  were  severe  shocks  in  the  Himalayas,  which  were  also 
felt  at  Broosa,  Asia  Minor.  At  noon  on  the  I5th  two  severe 
shocks  were  felt  at  Quebec.  On  the  i6th,  the  city  of  Shamaka, 
near  the  Caspian  Sea,  was  totally  destroyed :  and  a  severe  shock 
also  on  the  same  day  occurred  at  Valparaiso,  Chili.  On  the  22d 
there  is  an  earthquake  recorded  at  Guayaquil,  Ecuador.  The 
reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  the  period  at  which  these  earth- 
quakes occurred,  was  only  four  months  after  a  Jovial  equinox ; 
and  they  not  only  illustrate  but  verify  the  principle  we  have  often 
laid  down,  that  it  is  the  equinoxes  of  the  minor  planets  that  call 
forth  the  most  violent  physical  paroxysms,  during  the  perturba- 


tions  of  the  major  planets.  The  series  that  occutred,  as  detailed 
at  this  period,  were  evoked  by  Mercury's  equinox  on  the  iSth, 
and  by  Vulcan's  on  the  2ist.  The  previous  equinox  of  Vulcan, 
that  of  December  29th,  1871,  brought  about  that  terrible,  or 
rather  series  of  terrible  earthquakes  in  Persia,  in  which  Khaboo- 
shan,  in  the  Northwestern  Khorassan,  was  destroyed,  and  over 
30,000  persons  are  said  to  have  perished. 

On  the  1 8th  there  was  a  snowstorm  in  the  Mississippi  and 
Ohio  Valleys,  with  heavy  rains  South.  On  the  23d  a  remarkable 
snowstorm  occurred  in  Colorado.  The  fore  part  of  the  day  had 
been  unusually  warm  and  clear.  An  hour  before  sunset  an  arc- 
tic snowstorm  suddenly  burst  from  the  Northwest,  covering  the 
ground  from  15  to  18  inches.  At  Greeley  it  was  accompanied 
by  a  terrific  gale,  and  intensely  cold.  Several  persons  who  had 
gone  beyond  the  Cache  La  Poudre  for  coal,  perished  with  their 
teams,  and  large  numbers  of  cattle  and  other  stock  perished  with 
cold. 

The  second  equinox  of  Vulcan  in  1872  occurred  February 
I3th,  and  is  complicated  with  that  of  Venus,  which  occurred  on 
the  5th  ;  we  may  therefore  as  well  give  the  general  as  the  special 
phenomena  as  entered  on  my  phenomenal  record.  January  29th  : 
A  hurricane,  or  a  series  of  hurricanes,  was  started  in  the  Indian 
Ocean  on  this  day,  which  continued  to  the  i6th  of  February, 
when  last  encountered  and  observed  by  a  ship,  but  may  have  con- 
tinued longer.  February  2il,  it  snowed  all  day.  Serene  all  day 
on  the  3d  ;  at  4.10  P.  M.,  I  observed  the  beams  of  an  aurora  in 
a  perfectly  serene  and  blue  sky  in  the  magnetic  North,  diverging 
from  a  point  about  15  °  above  the  horizon.  Streamers  appeared 
like  sunbeams  behind  a  cumulus  cloud.  I  predicted  a  storm 
within  24  hours.  The  aurora  continued  into  the  night. 

On  the  4th  it  snowed  all  day  ;  an  aurora  illuminated  the  clouds 
all  night.  This  aurora  was  extremely  brilliant  where  the  sky 
was  clear.  It  was  seen  in  the  Eastern  States,  in  England,  in 
Australia,  and  in  New  Zealand,  followed  by  heavy  snows  in 
America,  and  rainstorms  in  Europe  and  in  the  Southern  Hemis- 
phere. At  Manchester,  England,  intense  magnetic  disturbances 
observed  from  4  to  11.30  P.  M.,  the  deviation  amounting  some- 
times to  as  much  as  6  °  .  At  Mauritius,  and  at  observatories  in 
Tasmania  and  Australia,  an  intense  "  magnetic  storm"  prevailed 


(i  56) 

from  4th  to  5th,  and  terrific  hurricanes  were  encountered  by 
ships  on  both  days  on  the  Indian  Ocean.  On  the  5th,  the 
severest  snowstorm  of  the  season  at  St.  Louis ;  and  a  general 
storm  over  the  entire  continent.  On  the  6th,  three  distinct  and 
severe  shocks  of  an  earthquake  felt  in  Michigan,  and  at  Winona, 
Minnesota ;  a  severe  shock  was  also  felt  in  the  Herzegovina. 
On  the  7th,  the  Sun  was  covered  'with  large  spots.  (Query  : 
Was  this  the  effect  of  the  Venusian  equinox?)  An  earthquake 
at  Cairo,  Illinois,  at  4  A.  M.,  on  the  8th  ;  and  general  and  heavy 
rains  in  Oregon  and  California.  On  the  i2th  it  was  warm  and 
clear,  but  unmistakable  indications  of  an  approaching  storm. 
Tremendous  snowstorm  during  the  night  in  Minnesota,  and  ex- 
tending southeast  to  Central  Illinois.  On  this  day  hail  fell 
throughout  the  province  of  Kattywar,  India  ;  a  hitherto  unknown 
phenomena  in  that  country.  On  the  i3th,  thunder  and  lightning 
during  the  night  in  Missouri  and  southwest,  ending  during  the 
next  day  with  a  furious  cold  gale  from  the  northwest.  The  ther- 
mometer fell  51  °  in  12  hours.  Heavy  rains  south,  and  a  fear- 
ful gale  at  Rock  Island,  Illinois.  In  the  forenoon  there  was  an 
earthquake  at  Lisbon.  On  the  I4th,  very  cold,  with  the  ther- 
mometer 2  °  below  zero  at  6  A.  M.  According  to  telegrams,  it 
was  warm  and  raining  heavily  in  Utah.  On  the  I5th  more  mod- 
erate at  St.  Louis ;  clear,  with  wind  from  the  southeast,  with 
every  indication  of  an  approaching  storm.  On  the  i6th  it  com- 
menced raining  at  4  A.  M.,  turned  to  snow  before  day,  and 
snowed  until  late  in  the  evening. 

The  next  Vulcanian  equinox  in  order  is  that  of  March  8th. 
In  the  lake  disaster  list  we  find  as  follows  :  March  yth,  steamer 
Ironsides  detained  by  ice  during  a  violent  gale  on  Lake  Michi- 
gan ;  schooner  Challenge  sprung  a  leak ;  propeller  Missouri, 
loaded  with  grain,  injured,  leaking  badly  ;  Manistee  aground 
and  goods  thrown  overboard ;  etc.  March  6th,  a  severe  shock 
of  an  earthquake  was  felt  at  Dresden,  and  other  parts  of  Ger- 
many, between  4  and  5  P.  M.  loth,  an  earthquake  destroyed 
the  seaport  town  Hamade,  and  the  capital  of  Sekishu,  Japan ; 
over  500  lives  lost.  It  is  said  that  a  mountain  was  thrown  into 
the  sea,  and  everything  subverted  on  land. 

Another  equinox  of  this  planet  occurred  on  the  3ist  of  March. 
On  the  2yth  a  destructive  cyclone  occurred  in  Australia.  In  the 


lake  disaster  list  we  have  the  items  :  March  3Oth  the  schooner 
North  Star  stranded  in  a  snowstorm  at  night ;  schooner  Two 
Brothers  driven  ashore ;  schooner  C.  JL.  Johnson  damaged  in  a 
a  gale  ;  tug  Margaret,  and  scow  Rough  and  Ready  sunk.  On 
the  31  st  the  propeller  St.  Joseph  had  furniture  injured  by  rough 
weather.  On  the  26th  the  terrible  earthquake  at  Inyo,  Cali- 
fornia, commenced,  which  continued  to  April  I3th.  On  the 
same  day  an  earthquake  was  felt  at  Paducah,  Kentucky.  This 
earthquake  was  felt  all  along  the  Pacific  coast  to  the  city  of 
Mexico,  and  beyond  to  Oaxaca,  where  many  churches  and 
houses  were  levelled  to  the  ground.  On  the  3d  of  April  the 
city  of  Antioch,  Syria,  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake. 

Vulcanian  equinox  No.  5,  of  1872,  occurred  April  23d.  The 
lake  list  of  disasters  again  shows  damage  from  2ist  to  26th,  but 
we  cannot  quote  them.  In  the  Annual  Report  of  Signal  Service 
for  1872,  a  storm  of  24th  of  April  is  mentioned  as  one  of  those 
of  which  timely  notice  was  given  to  the  shipping  interest ;  but 
there  are  no  particulars  given.  On  my  phenomenal  list  I  find, 
April  2ist,  a  cyclone  in  South  Carolina;  62  houses  destroyed  in 
Chester,  and  great  damage  done  at  Columbia.  An  earthquake 
felt  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  and  Cairo,  Illinois,  on  the  23d.  A 
gray  haze  and  lurid  Sun  to-day,  indicating  the  imminence  of 
earthquakes.  24th,  gray  haze,  lurid  Sun,  and  unseasonably  high 
temperature.  This  remark  is  appended,  "I  would  feel  alarmed 
if  I  lived  in  an  earthquake  country."  25th,  foreign  dispatches 
state  that  an  earthquake  occurred  at  Dumphries,  Scotland,  on  the 
23d,  and  that  yesterday  (24th)  a  terrible  eruption  of  Vesuvius 
took  place.  A  violent  series  of  earthquake  shocks  commenced 
on  the  25th,  and  continued  to  the  end  of  the  month,  at  St.  Sal- 
vador, Central  America.  An  earthquake  at  Attok,  East  Indies. 

Vulcan's  equinox  No.  6  of  1872,  occurred  May  i6th.  The 
lake  list  again  furnishes  a  list  of  disasters,  and  on  the  i8th  it 
says,  at  1 1  o'clock  A.  M.  a  storm  at  Buffalo  drove  vessels  back 
to  port. 

Equinox  No.  7  of  1872,  occurred  June  8th,  1872.  This  equi- 
nox is  complicated  with  that  of  Venus  of  May  3Oth,  attendant 
with  the  usual  phenomena  of  rainy  weather,  frequent  storms, 
and  in  this  instance  an  unusual  number  of  water-spouts.  The 
leaves  of  my  phenomenal  record,  covering  the  greater  part  of  the 


month  of  May  and  part  of  June,  have  become  detached  and  lost, 
consequently  I  am  unable  to  give  phenomena  until  June  i6th, 
where  I  find,  "Weather  very  showery  and  numerous  heavy  local 
rainfalls.  They  seem  to  have  been  frequently  of  the  nature  of 
water-spouts.  At  St.  Louis  the  highest  cirrus  clouds  had  a  de- 
cided westward  movement.  The  cumulus  clouds  were  about 
stationary,  or  if  any  movement  it  was  towards  the  West.  They 
would  gather  suddenly  into  a  large  mass,  then  change  rapidly 
into  nimbus  and  pour  down  a  heavy  local  shower  until  exhausted  ; 
after  a  very  short  interval,  another  similar  knot  would  gather  to 
the  westward  and  pass  through  the  same  phases.  These  knots 
seemed  to  propagate  themselves  in  streaks  from  East  to  West, 
and  after  disappearing  in  the  western  horizon,  similar  knots  re- 
appeared in  the  East.  These  local  showers  were  attended  with 
thunder  and  lightning,  hardly  ever  more  than  one  discharge  be- 
fore the  cloud  became  exhausted."  This  remarkable  character 
continued  until  after  the  terrific  thunderstorm  at  St.  Louis,  on 
the  night  of  the  27th,  which  we  have  described  in  Part  I.  The 
phenomenon  was  so  remarkable  that  I  made  a  minute  and  full 
record  of  it  at  the  time,  because  I  was  anxious  to  know  what 
it  meant.  I  was  so  impressed  with  it,  that  a  few  days  after, 
while  the  dispatches  were  bringing  in  detailed  accounts  of  extra- 
ordinary phenomena  from  both  East  and  West,  I  added  this 
memorandum  :  "Here,  at  St.  Louis,  the  singular  peculiarity  was 
to  develope  in  knots  or  points  from  five  to  eight  miles  apart,  and 
on  a  line  running  from  East  to  West ;  a  knot  consisted  of  a  cumu- 
lus cloud  which  rapidly  passed  into  a  nimbus,  and  exhausted 
itself  in  a  short  downpour  of  rain.  Scarcely  had  it  become  ex- 
hausted before  another  knot  was  seen  forming  westward.  There 
were  always  two  lines  of  propagation  visible,  one  North  and  the 
other  South  ;  but  at  one  time  when  a  line  passed  through  the 
Zenith,  it  was  flanked  by  a  line  on  each  side.  The  lines  seemed 
to  be  about  20  miles  apart ;  and  they  were  renewed  by  pulsations 
or  waves  from  the  East,  at  intervals  of  about  every  three  hours." 
Judging  by  the  phenomena  afterwards  reported,  a  similar  con- 
dition must  have  prevailed  over  the  whole  Continent  at  the  time. 
In  the  Eastern  States  a  number  of  extraordinary  local  rains  with 
floods  were  reported  as  having  occurred  on  the  same  day.  At 
St.  Joseph,  Missouri,  a  terrific  rain,  hail  and  wind  storm  oc- 


curred,  producing  a  flood  that  did  immense  damage.  On  the 
Western  Plains  there  were  what  are  popularly  called  cloud- 
bursts. About  a  month  after,  in  eastern  Colorado,  I  saw  the 
track  made  by  one  of  these  moving  columns  of  water  over  the 
Plains.  In  a  line  almost  straight,  it  had  scooped  out  a  row  of 
holes  from  three  to  ten  feet  wide,  and  from  two  to  five  feet 
<leep.  Near  Golden,  on  the  same  day,  a  water-spout  fell  on  the 
mountain,  by  which  a  Mr.  Virden  and  his  family,  returning 
from  church  in  a  carriage,  through  Clear  Creek  Canyon,  were 
overwhelmed,  and  Miss  Virden  and  Miss  Blood  lost  their  lives. 
Their  bodies  were  found, several  hundred  yards  below,  covered 
with  boulders,  gravel  and  sand,  horribly  mangled.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Virden  saved  themselves  by  grasping  a  limb  of  a  tree,  and 
holding  on  until  the  wave  had  passed,  which  was  twelve  to  fif- 
teen feet  high  and  nearly  perpendicular.  In  southeastern  Cali- 
fornia, and  Nevada,  on  the  same  day,  extraordinary  sand-spouts 
were  seen,  six  and  eight  in  number,  at  the  same  time,  in  a  row, 
spinning  and  whirling  like  water-spouts  at  sea.  On  the  Central 
Pacific  Railroad,  near  Truckee,  there  was  a  water-spout,  or  as 
the  people  of  the  mountains  expressively  call  such  a  phenomenon, 
"  a  cloud-burst."  When  first  seen  by  the  inhabitants,  it  was  a 
funnel-shaped  cloud  of  a  large  size,  and  black  as  pitch.  It  was 
upright  in  position,  and  had  a  swift  whirling  motion.  It  at  first 
descended  within  fifty  yards  of  the  ground  ;  it  then  lifted  a  little, 
and  swooped  by  with  immense  velocity  for  about  half  a  mile, 
when  it  struck  and  fell  upon  the  railroad,  washing  it  completely 
away,  embankment,  superstructure,  and  all,  and  in  many  places 
twisting  the  rails.  In  England,  two  days  after,  namely,  on  the 
1 8th  of  June,  a  most  terrific  rain  and  hailstorm  occurred  at  Bir- 
mingham, accompanied  by  dreadful  thunder  and  lightning.  Large 
masses  of  ice  fell,  and  the  amount  of  rain  that  fell  was  estimated 
-at  250  tons  to  the  acre. 

I  state  these  facts  because  they  have  a  peculiar  interest  to  me. 
I  recorded  them  at  the  time  of  their  occurrence,  because  I 
wanted  for  study  and  comparison  a  record  of  consecutive  indi- 
vidual facts,  uncontaminated  by  the  touch,  or  distorted  by  the 
whims,  caprices  and  prejudices  of  Man.  I  wanted  to  know 
whether  such  extraordinary  phenomena  as  these  were  normal ; 
whether  they  had  a  periodicity  ;  and  what  was  the  length  of 


(i6o) 

their  period.  If  they  had  a  period  of  a  definite  length,  then  I 
wished  to  ascertain  the  fixed  cause  that  regularly  brings  them 
around  in  their  circuit.  I  love  and  venerate  facts,  because  they 
enabled  me  to  penetrate  the  veil  that  hid  the  mysteries  of  the 
seasons,  and  taught  me  to  interpret  the  hieroglyphics  written 
upon  one  of  the  tablets  in  the  Great  Temple  of  Nature. 

Vulcan's  equinox  No.  8,  of  1872,  took  place  on  July  ist.  On 
this  day,  Balasore,  in  India,  was  nearly  destroyed  by  a  cyclone. 
A  storm  centre  passed  over  Lake  Superior  on  the  3<Dth  of  June, 
succeeded  by  another  that  appeared  in  the  northwest  on  the  same 
day,  and  was  central  in  the  Ohio  Valley  on  July  ist. 

Vulcan's  9th  equinox  of  1872,  took  place  July  24th.  The  lake 
disaster  list,  amongst  others,  mentions  the  following  casualties  : 
On  the  22d,  tug  Harrison  capsized  ;  barge  Emmett  lost  part  of 
deck  load  in  a  squall ;  a  raft  of  timber  broken  up  by  heavy 
weather.  On  the  23d,  the  schooner  Couch  sunk ;  schooner  Col' 
Her  lost  main-topmast  in  a  squall. 

Vulcan's  equinox  No.  10  of  1872  took  place  August  i6th.  On 
the  1 5th,  schooner  Day  spring  struck  by  lightning  on  Lake  Mich- 
igan ;  one  man  killed,  and  another  seriously  injured.  i6th,  bark 
Saginaiv,  loaded  with  timber,  sunk.  August  I5th,  a  brilliant 
aurora  to-night.  One  of  the  wires  of  the  Western  Union  Tele- 
graph Company  was  worked  some  time  by  the  auroral  current. 
On  this  day  a  tornado  swept  from  East  Longmeadow  to  Wilbra- 
ham,  leveling  everything  in  its  path  for  the  distance  of  five  miles. 
Stone' walls  and  fences  were  strewn  in  all  directions.  A  strip 
from  five  to  fifteen  rods  in  width  was  cut  clean  through  a  forest 
of  large  trees,  and  several  buildings  thrown  down. 

A  re-examination  of  my  data  for  the  purpose  of  culling  the 
Vulcanian  phenomena,  discover  the  following  facts,  overlooked 
when  I  made  up  the  Mercurial  record.  As  they  are  European, 
and  also  too  important  to  be  omitted,  we  add  them  here,  since  it 
is  too  late  to  insert  them  at  the  proper  place.  By  examining  the 
Table  of  Planetary  Equinoxes,  it  will  be  seen  that  a  Mercurial 
equinox  occurred  August  26th,  1872.  On  the  night  of  August 
25th  a  water-spout  burst  above  the  coach  road  near  Loch  Katrina, 
Scotland,  rendering  the  road  impassable  for  several  days,  by  the 
trees,  debris,  etc.,  swept  down  by  the  flood.  The  Birmingham 
(England)  Morning  News  says  :  "The  people  living  near  King's 


Sutton,  Banbury,  say  that  on  the  25th  inst.  (that  is  August  25th, 
1872)  about  one  o'clock,  they  saw  something  like  a  haycock 
revolving  through  the  air,  accompanied  by  fire  and  dense  smoke. 
It  made  a  noise  resembling  that  made  by  a  railway  train,  but 
very  much  louder,  and  travelled  with  great  rapidity.  It  was 
sometimes  high  in  the  air,  and  sometimes  near  the  ground.  It 
passed  over  the  estates  of  Col.  North,  M.  P.,  Sir  W.  R.  Brown, 
Bart.,  and  Mr.  Leslie  Melville  Cartwright,  whose  park  wall  it 
threw  to  the  foundation  in  several  places,  and  at  one  place  for 
upwards  of  sixty  yards.  A  man  named  Adams  was  breaking 
stones,  and  a  moment  before  he  was  standing  under  a  tree,  which 
was  suddenly  torn  up  by  the  roots  and  the  branches  scattered  in 
every  direction.  Two  or  three  other  trees  near  him  were  also 
torn  up,  and  one  of  them,  the  largest,  a  beech,  on  Sir  William 
Brown's  estate,  tore  up  with  it  12  or  15  tons  of  earth.  For  a 
distance  of  nearly  two  miles,  hedges,  rails,  fences,  trees,  hovels 
and  ricks  have  been  knocked  down  or  injured.  A  whirlwind 
followed  the  fire-meteor,  and  carried  away  everything  before  it. 
Stones  from  the  walls  knocked  down  were  carried  forty  yards 
away,  and  the  water  in  a  pond  on  the  passage  of  the  phenomenon 
was  sucked  up.  After  traveling  about  two  miles  the  meteor 
seemed  to  expend  itself,  and  disappeared  all  at  once.  There 
was  a  heavy  fall  of  rain  at  the  time  and  a  vivid  flash  of  lightning 
just  before."  On  the  same  day  there  was  a  destructive  tornado 
in  Ireland. 

The  nth  Vulcanian  equinox  of  1872  took  place  on  the  8th  of 
September.  On  the  8th  of  September,  according  to  Mr.  Den- 
ning, the  disc  of  the  Sun  was  covered  with  spots.  On  the  9th, 
7.2  inches  of  rain  fell  at  Bombay.  Heavy  rains  continued  for 
several  weeks  in  India  and  Bombay,  sometimes  accompanied  by 
severe  cyclones  and  destructive  floods,  by  which  much  property 
was  destroyed  and  many  lives  lost.  September  9th  and  loth,  a 
severe  hurricane  at  St.  Kitts,  Barbadoes,  and  other  islands.  The 
observations  of  the  Signal  Service  show  for  the  Sth  of  Septem- 
ber, rain  at  the  following  stations :  Omaha,  Keokuk,  Daven- 
port, Detroit  and  Burlington,  Vermont ;  and  heavy  rains  at 
Punta  Rassa,  Chicago,  Milwaukee,  Oswego,  Mount  Washington 
and  Quebec. 

The    1 2th  Vulcanian   equinox  of  1872,   occurred  on  October 


(162) 

ist.  On  the  morning  of  the  28th  of  September,  a  low  barometer 
was  central  between  Omaha  and  Leavenworth  ;  at  4  P.  M.  it 
was  central  at  St.  Louis,  and  at  midnight  near  the  southeastern 
point  of  Lake  Michigan.  On  the  morning  of  the  29th,  the 
centre  was  in  Northern  Michigan,  northwest  of  Saginaw,  thence 
it  passed  northeastwardly  over  Lake  Huron,  during  the  day. 
On  the  morning  of  the  3oth  it  was  central  over  Montreal,  thence 
it  passed  southeast  into  the  Atlantic  on  October  ist.  It  reap- 
peared on  the  coast  of  Maine  on  the  2d,  and  on  the  3d  extended 
into  the  Valley  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  This  low  barometer  was 
attended  with  heavy  rains  from  Omaha  to  Quebec,  and  from  Nor- 
folk, Virginia,  to  Nova  Scotia. 

Another  storm  centre  developed  in  the  northwest  on  the  2d  of 
October,  and  passed  over  the  Lake  Region  on  the  4th,  accom- 
panied with  light  rain  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  Florida, 
the  Lake  Region  and  St.  Lawrence  Valley. 

The  1 3th  Vulcanian  equinox  of  1872,  took  place  on  October 
24th.  The  Signal  Service  Report  of  1873,  p.  981,  says :  "  The 
most  severe  storm  was  that  which  from  the  2 ist  to  the  27th, 
travelled  from  the  Gulf  northeastward,  over  the  South  Atlantic 
and  Middle  States,  thence  eastward  over  southern  New  Eng- 
land into  the  Atlantic,  attended  throughout  its  course  by  heavy 
rains  and  brisk  high  winds,  increasing  at  times  to  gales.  These 
rains  were  particularly  heavy  in  northeastern  Florida  and  south- 
eastern Virginia,  over  6  inches  of  water  falling  during  the 
storm  at  Jacksonville,  and  nearly  7^  inches  at  Norfolk.  In  the 
record  of  averages  at  the  Kew  Observatory,  England,  I  find : 
"  Rainfall  during  the  month  6.46  inches,  of  which  3.9  fell  during 
the  seven  last  days  of  the  month. 

I  have  heretofore  stated  that  strongly  marked  phenomena  fre- 
quently occurred  midway  between  the  Vulcanian  equinoxes, 
which  leads  me  to  suspect  that  his  periodicity  really  is  but  23 
days,  consequently  that  one  of  his  equinoxes  occurs  every  nj 
days.  The  enormous  rains  and  destructive  floods  in  India  from 
the  1 9th  to  the  23d  of  September  is  one  of  these  phenomena. 
To  be  sure  it  may  have  been  caused  by  the  Telluric  equinox  of 
that  date.  But  the  general  principle  that  phenomena  are 
composite,  that  is,  the  effect  of  two  or  more  causes  gives  reason- 
able ground  to  suspect  that  there  was  another  disturbance  super- 


imposed  on  the  Telluric.  On  the  I3th,  I4th,  and  i5th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1872,  there  is  almost  positive  proof  of  the  agency  of  an  in- 
tervening cause  of  disturbance,  that  has  not  yet  been  accounted 
for.  To  be  sure  Mercury  passed  his  equinox  on  the  9th  of  Oc- 
tober, but  it  is  unusual  for  him  to  manifest  much  energy  at  a 
period  four  or  five  days  removed  from  his  equinox.  Besides  a 
storm  centre  passing  over  the  continent  from  the  I3th  to  the  i6th, 
and  a  second  one  on  the  1 7th,  we  have  large  numbers  of  sunspots 
— one  so  large  as  to  be  visible  with  the  natural  eye — reported  by 
Mr.  Denning  on  the  I3th  and  I4th,  with  intensely  strong  earth 
currents  simultaneously  in  telegraph  lines  in  England  and  on  the 
continent  of  Europe,  so  strong  as  to  interrupt  at  times  all  com- 
munication. These  currents  continued  until  the  iSth,  and  were 
only  intense  on  lines  running  East  and  West ;  lines  running 
North  and  South  were  but  little  affected.  Prof.  Sperry,  of  the 
Stonehenge  Physical  Observatory,  made  particular  observations 
on  them  from  the  I4th  to  the  iSth  of  the  month.  The  oscilla- 
tions and  declinations  of  the  magnetic  needle  were  sudden  from 
East  to  West,  and  vice  versa.  The  movement  of  the  vertical 
force  was  frequently  too  great  to  be  recorded  on  the  photograph 
paper,  and  the  magnet  was  frequently  thrown  off  its  balance. 
Furthermore,  while  I  am  writing  this  (July  22d,  1875)  tremen- 
dous rains  have  fallen  for  the  last  six  days  in  every  part  of  the 
American  continent,  and  also  in  Europe  ;  and  at  some  localities, 
Wheeling,  West  Virginia,  for  instance,  destructive  tornadoes 
have  occurred.  Mercury's  equinox  occurred  on  July  iSth,  and, 
as  expected,  heavy  rains  fell  on  that  day,  and  two  days  before 
and  after ;  but  it  is  unusual  for  this  planet  singly  to  show  so  much 
and  such  a  long  persistence  of  energy. 

The  I4th  Vulcanian  equinox  of  1872  occurred  on  November 
i6th.  From  the  I3th  to  the  i7th  a  storm  centre  passed  slowly 
over  the  continent  from  West  to  East,  reaching  the  lower  St. 
Lawrence  Valley  on  the  i7th.  On  the  I3th,  rain  or  snow  is  re- 
ported at  nineteen  stations  of  the  Signal  Service  ;  on  the  i4th,  at 
thirty-five  stations ;  on  the  i5th,  at  twenty-six  stations;  on  the 
i6th,  at  seventeen  stations;  and  on  the  i7th  at  twelve  stations. 

The  i5th  and  last  Vulcan  equinox  of  1872,  occurred  on  Dec- 
ember 8th.  On  the  6th,  a  storm  centre  appeared  in  the  extreme 
northwest ;  it  was  central  in  the  Lake  Region  on  the  8th,  and 


(,64) 

reached  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  on  the  loth.  Simultaneously 
with  its  disappearance,  three  storm  centres  appeared,  two  in 
the  extreme  West  and  Northwest,  and  one  in  Mexico.  The 
northern  and  central  ones  pursued  the  usual  easterly  course  over 
the  Lakes  and  Ohio  Valley  ;  the  one  from  Mexico  passed  over 
the  Gulf  and  Florida,  thence  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  with  the 
Gulf  Stream,  towards  the  northeast. 

Fifteen  Vulcanian  equinoxes  occurred  in  the  year  1872,  which 
we  have  presented  seriatim  together  with  the  phenomena — the 
greater  part  of  which  are  the  observations  of  the  Signal  Service — 
proving  that  at  every  one  of  the  periods,  if  not  manifested 
before,  then  generally  on  the  very  clay  the  equinox  occurred,  a 
disturbance  appeared,  which  produced  marked  phenomena ; 
many  of  them  being  very  violent.  As  we  insert  in  the  Appen- 
dix, a  table  of  all  the  Planetary  Equinoxes  that  have  occurred 
since  the  ist  of  January,  1866,  as  well  as  those  that  will  occur 
until  the  3ist  of  December,  1884,  so  we  might  safely  rest  the 
case  here.  Every  reader  by  observing  the  phenomena  occurring 
at  the  equinoxes  that  have  to  come,  can  verify  the  theory  for 
himself;  and  those  who  have  the  Annual  Reports  of  the  Signal 
Service,  for  the  years  1873  and  1874,  can  make  a  verification  by 
comparing  the  dates  of  the  equinoxes  with  those  of  the  current 
phenomena  at  the  period.  But  as  these  reports  are  not  accessi- 
ble to  all,  and  in  the  hands  of  but  few,  we  will  have  to  complete 
the  verification  of  the  Past,  trusting  to  the  interest  that  the  read- 
er will  take  in  the  subject  to  make  verifications  of  the  Future. 
We  will  however  pass  over  as  rapidly  as  possible  the  review  of 
the  phenomena,  unless  where  their  intrinsic  importance,  or  ex- 
traordinary character,  demands  particular  attention.  To  avoid 
so  much  repetition,  we  will  designate  them  merely  by  numbers  : 

VULCANIAN  EQUINOXES  OF  1873. 

No.  i  occurred  on  January  ist.  A  high  barometer  from  the 
northwest  moved  from  the  ist  to  the  4th  over  the  Lakes,  south- 
east. Storm  centre  No.  i,  coming  from  the  Pacific  coast,  in  the 
rear  of  this  high  barometer,  hence  was  deflected  on  the  3d,  from 
Wyoming  into  Arkansas,  where  it  was  on  the  4th.  In  the  mean- 
time, the  high  barometer  having  passed  into  the  Atlantic  to  join 
the  permanent  Bermuda  high  barometer  opposite  the  coast  of 


North  Carolina ;  storm  centre  or  low  barometer  No.  i  swept  by 
a  curve  through  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  thence  up  the  Ohio 
Valley  northeast  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence. 

No.  2  occurred  January  24th.  On  the  morning  of  the  23d 
there  was  a  low  barometer  central  at  St.  Louis ;  it  passed 
diagonally  through  Illinois,  Indiana  and  Ohio,  to  the  south- 
ern shore  of  Lake  Erie,  thence  eastward  into  the  Atlantic  on 
the  coast  of  Massachusetts,  where  it  joined,  on  the  24th,  another 
low  barometer  from  Texas,  through  the  interior  of  the  south 
Atlantic  States.  These  two  storms  covered  the  whole  country 
east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  with  heavy  snow  and  rainfalls, 
accompanied  with  severe  gales  on  the  Lakes  and  the  Atlantic 
coast. 

No.  3  occurred  February  i6th.  A  low  barometer  coming  from 
Mexico,  was  central  at  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash  in  southeastern 
Illinois  on  the  morning  of  the  i6th,  thence  to  the  Atlantic  coast 
opposite  New  Jersey.  This  was  followed  on  the  lyth  by  another 
low  barometer,  which  passed  northeast  over  Lake  Superior. 
The  first  was  accompanied  by  very  heavy  rains  and  snows  in  the 
North  :  in  the  South  with  thunderstorms.  That  on  the  I'jth  was 
followed  by  a  high  barometer  and  very  loiv  temperature. 

No.  4  occurred  March  nth.  Of  the  low  barometer  that  passed 
over  the  continent  from  the  loth  to  the  nth,  the  Signal  Service 
Report  says  :  "It  passed  from  Dakota  over  Minnesota  and  Lake 
Superior  into  Canada,  down  the  St.  Lawrence  Valley ;  preceded 
by  brisk  and  high  easterly  and  southerly  winds,  and  followed  by 
brisk  to  high  westerly  to  northwesterly  winds  ;  accompanied  by 
rain  and  snow  from  Missouri  to  Minnesota,  and  eastward  over 
the  Lakes.  In  the  Eastern  and  Middle  States  the  rains  and 
snows  became  general  and  at  places  very  heavy." 

No.  5  occurred  April  3d.  On  the  i  stand  2d  a  storm  centre 
passed  over  Missouri,  northeast  into  Canada.  The  Signal  Ser- 
vice say  it  was  accompanied  by  brisk  winds  and  heavy  rain  in 
all  the  States  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  was  felt  as  a 
severe  storm  from  Texas  to  the  Lakes  and  Northwest.  Of  the 
low  barometer  that  passed  over  the  continent  from  the  northwest 
from  the  3d  to  the  yth,  the  Signal  Service  say  it  was  accompanied 
by  brisk  and  occasionally  high  winds  and  rain  from  the  Missouri 
through  the  Ohio  Valley,  thence  to  the  East  and  middle  Atlantic 


coasts,  Lakes,  and  St.  Lawrence  Valley.  The  light-house  at 
Erie  was  blown  dowrn  during  this  storm. 

No.  6  occurred  April  26th.  The  phenomena  of  this  equinox 
are  complicated  with  those  of  the  Venusian  equinox  of  April  3Oth 
which  have  already  been  quoted,  which  were  tremendous  heavy 
snow  falls  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska,  with  excessive  rains  in  the 
South. 

No.  7  occurred  May  I9th.  A  low  barometer,  originating  on 
the  i  yth  on  the  Southwestern  Plains,  traveled  slowly  northeast- 
ward through  the  Indian  Territory  over  Lakes  Michigan  and 
Huron  into  Canada,  attended  with  rain  and  brisk  winds.  Sim- 
ultaneous with  its  disappearance  on  the  2oth,  a  low  barometer 
appeared  in  the  Northwest.  It  was  central  at  a  point  about  100 
miles  Northwest  of  St.  Paul,  at  4  P.  M.  on  the  22cl.  At  this 
hour  it  was  that  on  the  same  meridian  in  Washington  County, 
Southern  Iowa,  the  terrific  and  destructive  tornado  occurred,  of 
which  a  full  account  is  given  in  Part  I.  Mercury's  equinox  had 
occurred  on  May  i7th,  or  two  days  before  the  Vulcanian,  and 
five  davs  before  this  terrible  visitation. 

No.  8  occurred  June  nth.  Of  a  low  barometer  that  passed 
slowly  over  the  country  from  Dakota  to  the  New  England  States, 
from  the  7th  to  the  nth,  the  Monthly  Weather  Review  says,  "it 
was  accompanied  with  rain,  generally  heavy,  fresh  and  brisk 
winds,  and  occasionally  severe  thunderstorms."  Two  other 
storm  centres,  one  in  the  Southern  States  and  the  other  in  the 
Northwest,  appeared  on  the  I2th,  and  accompanied  with  the 
usual  phenomena. 

No.  9  occurred  July  4th.  Several  storm  centres  passed  over 
the  continent  from  the  2tl  to  the  5th.  On  the  3d  there  was  a  tor- 
nado at  Indianapolis  ;  and  shocks  of  an  earthquake  were  felt  on 
the  3d  and  5th  at  Buffalo. 

No.  10  occurred  July  27th.  On  that  day  storm  centre  13  of 
the  Signal  Service  passed  from  the  Northwest  over  Lake  Supe- 
rior. Among  the  Lake  disasters  of  this  period,  schooner  Tkvo 
Brothers  lost  jib-boom  and  foremast  head  by  a  storm.  Schooner 
Sunrise^  foremast  shivered  by  lightning  on  Lake  Erie.  Tug 
Ada  Allen  sunk,  etc. 

No.  n  occurred  August  i9th.  We  have  already  exhausted 
the  phenomena  of  this  period  in  what  we  have  said  of  the  Nova 


('67) 

Scotia  cyclone,  which  at  this  date  was  between  the  Bermuda  and 
Bahama  Islands,  on  its  way  to  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  which  it 
struck  five  days  later. 

No.  12  occurred  September  nth.  The  Monthly  Weather 
Review  says  of  low  barometer  No.  Ill,  "  September  nth,  izth 
and  I3th  was  accompanied  by  rain  at  nearly  all  of  the  stations 
east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  brisk  and  high  winds  over  the 
Northwest  and  Upper  Lakes;  severe  "Norther"  in  Texas  on 
I3th  ;  and  heavy  snow  on  Mount  Washington.'' 

No.  13  occurred  October  4th.  There  were  no  less  than  five  low 
barometers  or  storm  centres  developed  between  the  ist  and  6th 
of  October  :  three  in  the  Northwest,  and  two  in  the  Gulf  and  on 
the  coast  of  the  southern  Atlantic  States.  We  will  only  speak 
of  No.  I,  first  recognized  as  existing  on  the  3d,  some  distance 
southwest  of  Cuba.  Its  influence  was  felt  at  Galveston  and 
Indianola  on  the  4th,  from  the  brisk  and  high  northerly  winds 
that  were  blowing  into  it  at  those  points. 

The  steamship  G.  W.  Clyde,  Captain  James  Albert  Cole, 
from  Galveston,  September  3Oth,  experienced  a  series  of  easterly 
gales,  with  heavy  sea,  up  to  October  3d,  when  the  wind,  increas- 
ing in  force,  changed  to  the  southwest.  The  ship  was  then  run 
to  the  westward  for  more  sea  room,  and  during  the  night  of 
October  4th,  the  unfortunate  vessel  was  struck  by  the  cyclone, 
her  position  then  being  about  fifty  miles  westward  of  the  Tortu- 
gas.  The  steamer  was  tossed  about  in  the  most  fearful  manner. 
At  6.40  P.  M.,  on  the  $th,  the  sea  swept  the  pilot-house  away, 
and  Capt.  Cole,  together  with  four  others  of  the  ship's  officers, 
were  washed  overboard  and  drowned,  with  the  exception  of 
Quartermaster  Burns.  The  vessel  was  afterwards  tov/ed  into 
Key  West. 

At  this  place  the  barometer  had  been  steadily  falling  during 
the  5th,  with  variable  easterly  to  southeasterly  winds.  The  wind 
blew  a  gale  at  6  A.  M.  of  the  6th,  and  continued  so,  with  occa- 
sional lulls  during  the  entire  day.  After  4  P.  M.  the  mercury 
fell  very  rapidly,  reaching  its  m'inimum  at  5  P.  M.,  when  it  had 
fallen  to  29.28.  After  this  it  commenced  to  rise  again  ;  but  the 
wind  shifting  to  the  southeast,  increased  to  a  hurricane  at  6.30 
P.  M.,  the  velocity  twice  reaching  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles 
per  hour,  as  shown  by  the  self-register  of  the  anemometer. 


(,68) 

During  the  passage  of  the  storm,  almost  the  entire  island  was 
flooded,  the  sea  rising  fourteen  feet  above  mean  tide,  rushing 
through  the  street  from  two  to  four  feet  in  depth  ;  and  the  salt 
spray  which  filled  the  air,  destroyed  vegetation  as  completely  as 
a  severe  frost.*  The  damage  to  shipping  in  the  harbor,  although 
prepared  for  the  storm,  was  immense.  On  the  island,  houses 
trembled  and  shaked  to  their  foundations  ;  roofs  were  carried 
away  like  straws,  but  fortunately  but  one  life  is  reported  lost. 

At  Tortugas,  65  miles  west,  the  wind  blew  terrific  for  twelve 
hours.  Colonel  Langdon,  in  command  at  Fort  Jefferson,  states 
that  a  solid  bar  of  iron,  weighing  eight  hundred  pounds,  was 
carried  two  hundred  yards  over  the  parapet  of  the  Fort. 

The  cyclone,  which  was  progressing  northeastwardly  at  the  rate 
of  about  five  miles  an  hour,  struck  Punta  Rassa,  Florida,  about 
4  P.  M.  on  the  6th,  and  its  very  centre  seems  to  have  passed 
over  this  point.  The  barometer  here  was  similarly  affected  as 
at  Key  West,  during  the  4th  and  5th,  and  the  morning  of  the 
6th  ;  but  after  4  P.  M.  it  fell  more  rapidly.  At  4  P.  M.  it  stood 
at  29.10  ;  at  8.45  P.  M.  it  stood  at  28.40,  being  the  lowest  point 
it  reached. 

The  scene  at  this  station,  while  the  storm  was  at  its  height,  is 
said  to  have  been  most  terrific.  The  anemometer  being  blown 
away  at  4.11  P.  M.,  there  was  no  means  of  ascertaining  the 
velocity  of1  the  wind.  The  sea  rose  eleven  feet  above  the  mean 
tide,  all  land  was  flooded,  even  the  highest  points,  leaving  the 
inhabitants  entirely  without  drinking  water.  Houses  and  wharves 
were  swept  away,  cattle  were  drowned,  and  the  entire  loss  at 
the  place,  including  damage  to  shipping,  is  reported  at  $i  16,400  ; 
but  no  lives  lost.  The  course  of  this  cyclone,  after  it  had  forced 
a  passage  between  the  two  opposing  high  barometers,  was  rapid 
northeastwardly  with  the  Gulf  Stream.  Of  course,  after  the  pass- 
age was  effected  it  lost  its  cyclonic  character.  It  is  supposed  to 
have  been  the  same  storm  that  passed  over  the  Shetland  Islands 
on  October  loth. 

No.  14  occurred  on  the  2yth  of  October.  A  general  atmos- 
pheric disturbance  followed  this  equinox ;  no  less  than  three 
storm  centres  from  the  25th  to  the  28th,  originated  or  passed 

*NOTE. — This  will  be  considered  an  important  fact  when  people  once 
get  rid  of  their  mechanical  theory  in  Physics. 


(i69) 

over  the  continent.  Low  barometer  No.  XII,  of  this  month, 
originated  in  Texas,  and  was  central  in  the  Indian  Territory  on 
the  25th.  "  Snow  was  then  falling  throughout  the  Northwest 
very  heavily,  with  high  winds.  The  precipitation  became  very 
heavy  on  the  26th,  when  it  passed  over  the  Lakes ;  with  heavy 
thunderstorms  in  the  South.  It  was  central  in  New  Brunswick 
on  the  2yth  and  28th,  with  southern  gales  in  Maine  ;  reported 
the  heaviest  storm  of  the  season  at  New  Haven,  Wood's  Hole, 
Portland  and  Eastport."  Low  barometer  No.  XIII,  October 
27th,  28th  and  29th.  "The  snow  and  fog  that  prevailed  on  the 
Lakes  united  with  the  high  wind,  made  the  night  of  the  28th 
and  29th  one  of  the  wildest  description,  and  numerous  disasters 
are  reported  from  Milwaukee." — Monthly  Weather  Review. 

No.  15  occurred  November  19^1.  Within  three  days  no  less 
than  four  low  barometers  or  storm  centres  originated  and  passed 
over  the  Continent.  We  can  only  quote  from  the  Monthly 
Weather  Review  a  condensed  description  of  No.  VII,  which 
was  the  most  remarkable  cyclone  of  which  the  Signal  Service 
observations  furnish  any  details.  It  was  generated  about  mid- 
day of  the  1 6th,  in  Northern  Georgia,  and  at  once  assumed  a 
threatening  aspect.  During  the  night  of  the  i6th  and  morning 
of  the  1 7th,  it  steadily  advanced  to  the  vicinity  of  Wilmington, 
making  about  240  miles  in  12  hours.  Its  course  thence  was 
northeastward  along  the  inshore  margin  of  the  Gulf  Stream, 
which  it  tenaciously  followed  to  latitude  43  °  north,  whence  it 
struck  off  into  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  and  thence  to  the  mouth  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  River.  All  along  its  track,  from  Norfolk  to 
Halifax  and  Father  Point,  was  marked  by  fierce  gales,  and  ves- 
sels report  fearful  seas  off  the  coast.  At  Norfolk,  chimneys  and 
fences  were  blown  down,  and  shipping  in  the  harbor  dragged 
anchors.  In  Chesapeake  Bay  it  was  extremely  severe.  At 
Cape  May  the  barometer  fell  to  28.76,  with  very  heavy  sea  ;  and 
pilots  from  outside  report  it  the  worst  gale  known  for  years. 
At  New  Haven,  Wood's  Hole,  Boston,  and  Portland,  Maine,  it 
fell  very  low,  at  the  latter  point  to  28.49,  ^ne  lowest  observed 
barometers  since  these  points  became  signal  stations.  At  East- 
port,  Maine,  on  the  i8th,  the  cyclone  attained  terrific  force,  its 
winds  blowing  64  miles  an  hour.  Its  progress  over  the  Canad- 
ian districts  to  the  northward  and  eastward  was  equally  violent. 


No.  1 6,  and  last  of  1873,  occurred  on  the  i2th  of  December. 
The  phenomena  of  this  equinox  are  complicated  with  those  of 
the  Venusian  equinox  of  December  9^1 .  This  month  was 
marked  with  excessive  rains,  as  is  usually  the  case  when  a 
Venusian  equinox  occurs.  The  Weather  Review  says,  ' '  No.  VI 
(low  barometer)  began  in  New  Mexico,  and  during  the  night  of 
the  loth,  and  the  forenoon  of  the  nth,  advanced  eastward  to  the 
central  Arkansas  Valley,  and  thence  moved  northeastwardly 
over  Missouri  and  Illinois  on  the  I2th.  It  passed  eastward  over 
New  York,  and  reached  the  Atlantic  coast  on  the  night  of  the 
1 3th,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  I4th  its  centre  was  near  Hali- 
ifax,  Nova  Scotia. 

We  have  now  come  to  the  close  of  another  year,  and  in  pass- 
ing under  review  the  dates  of  the  sixteen  equinoxes  of  Vulcan 
that  fell  within  the  year,  in  not  a  solitary  case  have  we  failed  to 
find  cotemporaneous  physical  phenomena  of  a  very  marked 
character.  Not  only  so,  but  the  most  extraordinary  phenomena 
that  have  occurred  during  the  year,  have  all  fallen  upon  these 
Vulcanian  periods.  Other  extrordinary  phenomena  falling  upon 
these  periods  were  so  far  removed  from  any  other  known  cause, 
that  unless  they  are  due  to  Vulcan's  equinoxes,  no  other  cause 
can  be  assigned  for  them.  If  the  theory  that  all  physical  phe- 
nomena result  from  astronomical  causes,  has  any  foundation  in 
fact — which  will  hardly  be  contested  while  the  facts  we  have 
adduced  stare  the  doubter  in  the  face — then  it  must  be  admitted 
that  unless  these  sporadic,  and  oftentimes  very  violent  phenome- 
na, are  not  attributable  to  the  Vulcanian  equinoxes,  then  no 
other  astronomical  cause  can  be  assigned  for  them. 

VULCANIAN  EQUINOXES  OF  1874. 

No.  i  occurred  January  4th.  Storm  centre  No.  I,  originating 
on  the  Pacific,  was  central  in  Minnesota  on  the  3d,  and  reached 
the  Gulf  of  St  Lawrence  on  the  5th.  It  was  accompanied  by 
rain  and  snow,  and  followed  by  a  high  barometer,  that,  as  usual, 
brought  very  cold  weather.  Low  barometer  No.  II  appeared  in 
the  Gulf  on  the  5th.  It  passed  into  Florida  at  St.  Marks,  thence 
through  Western  Georgia  and  North  Carolina,  it  crossed  the 
Allegheny  Mountains  and  over  the  eastern  part  of  Lake  Erie 
into  Canada.  The  Weather  Review  says  :  "It  was  this  storm 


070 

that  produced  the  snow  and  sleet  in  the  Lake  Region  and  Ohio 
Valley,  on  the  6th  and  yth  of  the  month,  and  severed  the  tele- 
graphic communication  between  the  East  and  West." 

No.  2  occurred  January  2/th.  Low  barometer  No.  VII,  of 
January,  appeared  at  Yankton  on  the  morning  of  the  27th, 
passed  over  the  Lake  Region  during  that  day,  and  passed  into 
the  Atlantic,  north  of  Boston,  on  the  z8th. 

No.  3  occurred  February  i9th.  On  the  i9th  a  storm  centre, 
coming  from  the  Pacific  coast,  passed  over  the  Lake  Region, 
reaching  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence  on  the  2oth.  There 
was  another  storm  centre  that  passed  over  Texas  on  the  i6th  to 
Florida  on  the  iSth ;  and  one  on  the  2oth  from  the  South- 
west, through  Arkansas  to  Cairo,  Illinois,  thence  up  the  Ohio 
Valley. 

No.  4  occurred  on  March  I4th.  Low  barometer  No.  VII 
formed  in  the  Northwest  on  the  I4th.  Being  both  retarded  and 
deflected  by  a  high  barometer  over  the  Lakes,  it  did  not  reach 
western  Missouri  until  the  i7th.  It  passed  St.  Louis,  after 
sweeping  over  Southern  Missouri,  on  the  iSth,  thence  to  Mil- 
waukee, where  it  reached  that  evening.  The  Weather  Review 
says:  "It  was  accompanied  by  violent  lightning,  thunder  and 
heavy  rain.  While  the  storm  centre  was  in  eastern  Missouri, 
and  making  a  northward  or  northeastward  curve  in  its  course, 
a  severe  storm  or  tornado  was  formed  in  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
which,  at  4  A.  M.  of  the  iSth,  swept  with  great  fury  over  Cairo, 
Illinois." 

No.  5  occurred  April  6th.  Low  barometer  No.  Ill  developed 
on  the  4th,  in  Texas.  Its  course  was  due  northeastward  over 
Lake  Erie,  thence  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  which  it  reached 
on  the  6th.  "  Very  extensive  rains  uniformly  prevailed  over  the 
Southern  and  Atlantic  States,  and  snow  over  the  Lake  Region 
and  Upper  Mississippi  Valley." 

No.  6  occurred  April  29th.  Low  barometer  No.  XII,  origi- 
nating in  the  mountains  of  Colorado,  on  the  25th  and  26th,  but 
retarded  by  high  barometers  in  the  Lakes,  passed  through  south- 
ern Missouri  on  the  27th,  thence  eastward  south  of  the  Ohio,  to 
Albemarle  Sound,  which  it  reached  on  the  28th.  The  Review 
says  :  "  Heavy  rains  prevailed  on  the  night  of  the  27th-28th  in 
the  Ohio  and  Tennessee  Valleys  and  snow  on  the  Lower  Lakes. 


When  it  struck  the  Atlantic  it  turned  sharply  to  the  northeast, 
passing  over  Maine  on  the  29th,  at  midnight." 

Of  low  barometer  No.  XIII,  the  Review  says  :  "  The  history 
of  this  remarkable  storm  belongs  especially  to  the  month  of  May  ; 
during  the  first  five  days  it  moved  slowly  from  the  northwest  to 
Tennessee,  thence  to  Cape  Hatteras.  The  origin  of  this  storm 
was  on  the  Pacific  coast.  It  passed  over  Washington  Ter- 
ritory on  the  28th  and  29th,  and  over  Montana  on  the  3oth. 
Earth  currents  are  reported  atPembina  (pronounced  Pem-bin-aw) 
on  the  29th,  the  day  of  the  equinox 

.  No.  7  occurred  May  22d.  Storm  centre  No.  VI  passed  over 
Lake  Erie  on  the  2Oth  ;  New  York,  2ist ;  and  Maine,  22d.  Of 
low  barometer  No.  VII,  which  appeared  in  Dakota  on  the  22d, 
the  Review  says  :  "It  was  accompanied  on  its  north  and  east 
sides  by  an  unusual  number  of  thunder  and  hailstorms,  of  which 
a  special  report  is  in  preparation."  These  thunderstorms,  oc- 
curring on  the  afternoon  of  the  25th,  are  reported  from  nearly 
every  station  in  the  Gulf  States,  Tennessee,  Virginia,  middle 
Atlantic  coast,  Lake  Ontario  and  New  England. 

No.  8  occurred  June  I4th.  Of  low  barometer  No.  VI,  the 
Review  says.  "It  passed  from  Kansas  on  the  i4th,  northeast- 
ward over  the  Upper  Lakes,  thence  eastward  and  southeastward 
over  Canada  and.  New  England.  The  barometric  gradients  of 
this  storm  centre  were,  without  exception,  the  steepest  recorded 
during  the  month."  It  gave  rise  to  remarkable  storms  over  the 
whole  country. 

No.  9  occurred  July  7th.  Low  barometers  III,  IV  and  V,  the 
first  two  coming  from  the  West,  the  other  originating  in  southern 
Illinois,  passed  over  the  country  from  the  3d  to  the  loth. 
Tornadoes  occurred  on  the  evening  of  the  4th,  in  Pennsylvania, 
Maryland,  Virginia,  Delaware  and  New  Jersey  ;  and  on  the  7th 
at  Three  Mile  Bay,  New  York.  Earthquake  on  the  9th  at  Cairo. 

No.  10  occurred  July  3oth.  Low  barometer  No.  I,  of  August, 
originated  in  Dakota  on  the  29th  of  July  ;  it  was  on  the  Upper 
Lakes  on  the  3Oth,  and  the  Lower  on  the  3ist.  The  phenomena 
of  this  equinox  are  complicated  with  those  of  the  equinox  of 
Venus  on  July  23d,  and  are  already  given — while  the  Venusian 
cycle  was  under  discussion — in  the  account  of  the  tremendous 
water-spouts  during  the  last  week  of  July,  1874. 


No.  ii  occurred  August  zzd.  Storm  centre  No.  VII  brought 
rainy  weather  to  all  States  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  it 
orignated  in  the  Northwest  on  the  2Oth  ;  it  divided  into  two 
branches,  one  proceeding  east  over  the  Lakes,  the  other  by  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio  to  Cape  Hatteras  ;  severe  thunderstorms  ac- 
companied both  of  its  branches  across  the  Continent. 

No.  12  occurred  September  i4th.  As  a  Mercurial  equinox 
occurred  on  this  same  day,  the  cotemporaneous  phenomena  have 
already  been  given  in  the  discussion  of  the  Mercurial  Cycle. 

No.  13  occurred  October  yth.  Storm  centre  No.  Ill  passed 
from  southwestern  Texas,  through  the  heart  of  the  country 
northeastwardly  to  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  from  the  yth  to 
the  9th.  It  was  preceded  on  the  6th  by  storm  centre  No.  II  from 
the  Northwest.  The  two  centres  formed  a  junction  in  Central 
Pennsylvania. 

No.  14  occurred  October  ^oth.  Low  barometer  No.  IX  ap- 
peared in  southern  Colorado  on  the  27th,  passing  centrally  over 
the  Lake  Region,  it  reached  the  Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence  on  the 
3oth.  This  was  a  storm  of  great  severity,  marked  with  nearly 
a  straight  track,  and  accompanied  with  high  cyclonic  winds. 
At  Duluth  the  sea  on  Lake  Superior  was  very  violent.  The 
rocks  on  the  outside  of  the  breakwater  were  thrown  on  the  in- 
side. Several  vessels  coming  into  port  from  the  north  shore  of 
the  Lake,  were  disabled,  and  one  lost. 

No.  15  occurred  November  22d.  On  the  2oth,  low  barometer 
No.  VIII  appeared  in  western  Wyoming.  This  proved  to  be 
an  extraordinarily  violent  and  extensive  cyclone.  It  passed 
through  North  Missouri  in  the  forenoon  of  the  22d,  and  reached 
Chicago  at  night.  It  was  on  the  22d,  the  day  of  the  equinox, 
that  a  terrific  tornado  struck  the  town  of  Tuscumbia,  Alabama, 
destroying  upwards  of  100  buildings,  and  killing  12  persons. 
Nearly  half  of  the  town  was  destroyed,  and  an  immense  amount 
of  damage  done  otherwise.  Almost  simultaneously  the  town  of 
Montevallo,  about  60  miles  north  of  Selma,  Alabama,  shared  a 
similar  fate.  The  electric  phenomena  of  this  storm  were  very 
extensive,  intense  and  unusual,  since  the  cold  season  was  already 
far  advanced. 

No.  16,  and  last  Vulcanian  equinox  of  1874,  occurred  Decem- 
ber i5th.  Storm  centre  No.  VI  appeared  in  the  Northwest  on 


('74) 

the  1 2th,  and  reached  the  Bay  of  Funday  on  the  I4th.  It  was 
very  severe,  and  increased  in  energy  as  it  approached  the  coast. 
Several  wrecks  occurred  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  north  of  Cape 
Hatteras.  A  decidedly  very  high  barometer  followed  immedi- 
ately in  the  rear  of  this  storm  centre,  accompanied  by  very  cold 
clear  weather. 

In  our  investigation  we  have  traversed  the  circuit  of  another 
year,  and  again  we  have  found  not  only  a  uniform  but  an  inva- 
riable correspondence  of  dates  between  physical  phenomena  and 
the  Vulcanian  equinoxes.  Moreover  the  facts  show  that  the 
most  extraordinary  one  during  the  year  occurred  on  the  very  day 
of  one  of  these  equinoxes,  and  all  its  strongly  marked  phenomena 
crystalize  around  other  equinoxes.  Such  invariable  concurrence 
is  not  within  the  range  of.  probabilities,  and  there  is  no  way  of 
accounting  for  it  except  upon  the  hypothesis  that  it  is  the  effect 
of  a  fixed  and  invariable  cause. 

VULCANIAN  EQUINOXES  OF  1875. 

The  first  occurred  on  January  7th.  We  have  already  given  its 
phenomena  in  full,  while  discussing  the  subject  of  earth-currents. 
The  second  occurred  January  3oth.  Low  barometer  No.  XI 
passed  north  of  the  Lake  Region  on  the  29th  and  3'^th.  Strong 
gales  along  the  Lakes,  especially  at  Toledo  on  the  3oth.  It  was 
accompanied  with  snow  and  brisk  to  high  winds.  Low  barom- 
eter No.  XII  appeared  in  the  Northwest  on  the  291)1,  passed  cen- 
trally over  Illinois  and  Indiana,  thence  over  Lukes  Erie  and 
Ontario.  Another  low  barometer  developed  in  Georgia  on  the 
3oth,  which  latter  became  a  severe  snowstorm  in  New  England. 
In  Texas  and  the  Gulf  States  it  produced  thunderstorms,  north 
of  Tennessee,  snow  and  sleet.  An  aurora  seen  on  the  3ist. 

The  third  occurred  on  February  22d.  Low  barometer  No. 
XI  appeared  in  the  Northwest  on  the  2ist.  It  passed  eastward 
to  Ohio  on  the  22d,  where  it  seems  to  have  propagated  its  influ- 
ence to  a  depression  in  the  Indian  Territory,  during  the  night, 
and  on  the  23d  it  moved  northeastward  into  Iowa.  It  was  dur- 
ing its  passage,  on  the  23d,  through  Missouri,  that  the  town  ot 
Houstonia  was  destroyed  by  a  terrible  tornado. 

The  fourth  occurred  March  i7th.  Low  barometer  No.  VIII 
formed  in  Texas  on  the  i7th;  on  the  i8th  and  I9th  it  moved 


slowly  into  Louisiana  ;  on  the  2oth  it  developed  into  the  most 
terrific  tornadoes  from  Central  Alabama,  over  Georgia,  into 
South  Carolina.  Here  I  cannot  refrain  from  entering  a  most 
earnest  protest  against  the  culpable  neglect  of  what  are  ostensi- 
bly scientific  associations  and  institutions,  established  and  en- 
dowed to  promote  the  increase  and  diffusion  of  knowledge 
amongst  Mankind,  in  not  giving  a  thorough  investigation  to 
these  rare  and  most  significant  phenomena. 

The  economy  of  Nature  is  conducted  not  only  upon  the 
most  simple  principles,  but  by  the  most  efficient,  because 
omnipotent,  causes,  and  the  most  stringent  and  effective 
laws.  The  cause  producing  a  low  barometer  does  its  work 
efficiently,  and  with  a  power  that  surpasses  all  human  cal- 
culation. It  draws  to  the  centre  of  continents  moist  air  from  all 
the  surrounding  oceans,  though  thousands  of  miles  away,  and 
sends  it  to  the  upper  regions  of  the  atmosphere  as  a  volcano  does  its 
smoke,  ashes  and  scoriae,  or  an  immense  fire  the  superincumbent 
heated  air,  there  to  form  clouds  to  distil  and  distribute  the  gratefu-1 
rain  as  they  are  borne  along  by  currents  of  air  going  to  be  poured 
down  again  through  the  aerial  maelstrom  ove-r  a  high  barometer. 
Who  can  estimate  the  amount  of  work  it  performs?  Look  at 
the  mighty  rivers  that  periennially  flow  into  the  sea !  What  is 
the  weight  of  the  water  they  annually  bear  back  and  pour  into 
the  ocean?  What  power  is  it  that  conveys  these  waters  from  the 
ocean  to  the  highlands  and  mountains  in  the  centre  of  continents 
where  rivers  have  their  sources?  To  St.  Louis,  in  the  heart  of 
the  Mississippi  Valley,  sufficient  water  is  annually  carried  to 
cover  the  surface  of  the  Earth  nearly  four  feet  in  depth,  and  in 
some  exceptional  year,  it  has  nearly  touched  six  feet.  What  is 
the  weight  of  this  immense  body  of  water?  St.  Louis  is  fully  a 
thousand  miles  from  the  nearest  ocean.  What  then  is  the  force 
that  transports  and  the  motive  power  that  puts  this  immense 
body  of  water  in  motion,  and  conveys  it  1,000  miles  into  the 
Continent?  What  answer  has  Science — falsely  so  called — to 
give  these  questions  ?  None  ;  absolutely  none  whatever  ;  for  the 
hypothesis  that  it  is  Heat  does  not  bear  the  least  scrutiny.  If  it 
be  Heat,  then  this  upheaval  of  air  would  take  place  over  the 
hottest  portions  of  continents,  which  is  never  the  case.  In 
America  it  would  take  place  in  the  Gulf  States  ;  in  Africa,  in  the 


Qreat  Sahara  ;  and  in  Asia,  in  Arabia,  and  India,  which  every 
tyro  knows  is  not  the  case.  In  America  it  is  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  and  especially  in  that  part  of  them  in  western  Man- 
itoba, at  the  sources  of  the  Missouri  and  the  Sasgatchawan 
Rivers,  and  north  of  the  forty-ninth  parallel  of  north  latitude. 
In  Asia  it  in  the  Altai  Range,  on  the  southern  border  of  Siberia, 
where  the  Obi,  Yenesei,  Lena  and  Amoor  have  their  sources; 
and  in  Africa  it  is  over  the  mountains  of  South  Africa,  at  the 
springs  of  the  Nile,  the  Congo,  the  Orange  and  the  Zambezi. 
Then,  again,  if  the  thermal  hypothesis  be  true,  the  heaviest  pre- 
cipitation would  take  place  at  the  hottest  season  of  the  year, 
which  again  is  known  not  to  be  the  case.  We  get  the  heaviest 
rains  first,  and  the  hottest  season  afterwards.  According  to  the 
thermal  hypothesis,  the  effect  then  precedes  the  cause.  A  theory 
that  ignores  such  positive  facts,  and  is  so  oblivious  of  all  logical 
deductions — that  is,  of  Common  Sense — requires  no  refutation. 

Here,  in  this  transportation  of  such  a  vast  amount  of  Matter, 
a  motive  power  is  operating,  millions  of  times  greater  than  the 
power  of  all  the  horses  in  the  world,  together  with  all  the 
mechanical  powers  Man  has  contrived  or  can  command,  still, 
not  yet  has  he  discovered  the  nature  and  character  of  the  power. 
In  fact,  he  virtually  ignores  it.  He  talks  flippantly  of  indrafts 
of  dry  cold  air  on  one  side,  and  of  moist  warm  air  on -the  other, 
and  then,  incoherently,  of  conflicts  of  these  counter  currents  in 
which  hurricanes  are  born.  These  phrases  are  full  of  sound  and 
fury,  but  absolutely  "signifying  nothing." 

Indrafts !  Then  there  must  be  motion.  Now,  what  is  the 
cause  of  this  motion?  Let  that  which  claims  to  be  Science, 
answer  if  it  can.  The  cause  of  motion !  Why ;  is  it  necessary 
for  the  Stagyrite  to  arise  from  the  dead  and  repeat  the  lesson  he 
taught  twenty-three  centuries  ago  :  "  That  all  that  moves  leads 
us  back  to  the  cause  of  the  motion  that  ive  perceive"  It  cer- 
tainly does  seem  so ;  for  here  we  have  motion,  but  what  passes 
for  Science  in  the  Nineteenth  Century,  has  not  ascertained  the 
cause  of  that  motion.  This  cause  works  effectively,  but  so 
silently  and  inobtrusively  that  Man  has  not  perceived  and  recog- 
nized it,  though  it  is  as  open  as  day.  In  the  tornado  it  assumes 
a  visible  embodiment  and  acts  so  terrifically  as  to  inspire  Man 
with  consternation  and  awe.  There  that  cause  stands  revealed 


as  Electricity  in  its  utmost  tension,  and 'there  it  discloses  the  laws 
by  which  it  operates;  but  our  institutions,  who  have  charged 
themselves  with  the  task  of  increasing  and  diffusing  Knowledge 
amongst  Mankind,  culpably  neglect  and  studiously  avoid  an  ex- 
amination of  all  the  attendant  circumstances  and  characteristic 
facts  of  these  rare,  terrific,  but  significant  phenomena.  Why? 
Because  indrafts  of  air  and  conflicts  of  atmospheric  currents 
are  too  insignificant  to  demand  attention  from  the  high  priests 
of  Science.  In  this  we  would  concur,  looking  at  the  matter 
from  their  stand-point,  which  is  that  these  indrafts  and  conflicts 
are  accidental,  and  happen  without  an  efficient  cause. 

Let  us,  however,  be  just  to  them.  They  do  sometimes  inves- 
tigate them,  but  it  is  by  one  who  has  nothing  to  learn.  He  finds 
nothing,  because  he  is  in  that  state  contemplated  by  Plato,  when 
he  asks  :  "How  can  we  expect  to  find  unless  we  know  what  we 
are  looking  for?"  Looking  for  indrafts,  he  easily  finds  them. 
But  he  is  not,  nor  does  he  make  us  any  wiser  than  we  were 
before.  We  knew  before,  that  where  there  is  such  an  updraft 
there  must  be  a  corresponding  indraft.  We  know  that  a  low 
barometer  is  fed  by  surrounding  high  barometers  ;  and  therefore 
it  is  a  natural  inference  that  an  arctic  high  barometer  must  pour 
into  such  a  low  barometer  a  supply  of  dry  cold  air  ;  and  that  an 
oceanic  and  subtropical  high  barometer  must  pour  into  it  moist 
warm  air.  The  conflict  amounts  only  to  this  :  it  is  the  collision 
of  warm  air  with  warm  air,  as  well  as  warm  air  with  cold  air  in 
the  rush  into  the  cyclonal  vortex.  But  what  we  want  to  know 
is  the  cause  of  this  vortex,  and  the  laws  and  modes  of  its  action. 
This  we  can  only  ascertain  by  a  minute  and  exhaustive  scrutiny 
of  the  facts  in  all  their  details  and  integrity  ;  and  these  facts  can 
only  be  ascertained  by  an  intelligent,  full  and  discriminative  in- 
vestigation of  phenomena  as  soon  after  their  occurrence  as  possible. 

The  fifth  Vulcanian  equinox  occurred  April  9th.  On  the  8th 
low  barometer  No.  Ill  passed  through  Nebraska  with  heavy 
rainfall  in  the  Missouri  Valley,  into  Northwestern  Iowa,  then 
centrally  through  Minnesota,  northwest  of  Lake  Superior.  No. 
IV  appeared  in  the  Southwest  on  the  roth,  passing  through  Ar- 
kansas, thence  up  the  Valley  of  the  Ohio  on  the  loth  and  nth, 
with  high  winds,  heavy  rains  and  snows,  and  with  severe  thun- 
derstorms in  the  Southern  States. 


('78) 

The  sixth  occurred  May  2d.  Low  barometer  No.  I  on  the  ist 
and  3d,  passed  from  the  Ohio  Valley  northeastward  over  the 
Lower  Lakes,  accompanied  by  high  winds  and  heavy  rains  and 
snows.  Local  tornadoes  in  Georgia,  South  Carolina,  Tennessee 
and  Indian  Territory,  and  destructive  gales  on  the  Lakes  and 
Atlantic  coast.  Storm  centre  No.  II  followed  from  Kansas  on 
May  zd,  and  No.  Ill  on  the  4th.  The  latter  giving  rise  to  severe 
hailstorms.  Earthquakes  occurred  in  Asia  on  the  3d  and  4th  of 
May. 

The  seventh  occurred  May  25th.  Low  barometer  No.  X 
developed  in  the  extreme  Northwest  on  the  2ist.  It  moved 
slowly  into  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  covering  it  with  a  system 
of  depressions,  some  of  which  developed  into  tornadoes  in  the 
Indian  Territory.  On  the  26th  it  developed  into  one  centre  in 
western  Nebraska  and  Dakota,  and  then  passed  eastward  over 
the  Lakes. 

The  eighth  occurred  June  lyth.  Low  barometer  No.  V  of  the 
Signal  Office  for  June,  passed  over  the  Mississippi  Valley  on  the 
I5th  and  i6th.  At  Quincy  on  the  i5th  there  was  a  severe  tor- 
nado and  tremendous  rain,  causing  destructive  floods.  The  same 
was  the  case  at  Hannibal,  Missouri.  Heavy  rains  extended 
West  into  Kansas,  and  Northwest  into  Nebraska.  On  the  i6th, 
iyth  and  iSth,  the  rainfall  was  enormous,  and  the  winds  terrific. 
The  same  was  the  case  over  all  the  country  east  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  but  especially  so  in  the  Missouri,  Central  Mississippi 
and  Ohio  Valleys ;  destructive  tornadoes  occurring  at  many 
places.  In  Indiana,  Ohio,  and  northward,  an  earthquake  was 
felt  on  the  iSth,  at  many  points,  while  a  violent  storm  was  rag- 
ing. We  have  information  that  at  McConnellsburgh,  Fulton 
County,  Pennsylvania,  a  tremendous  rain,  hail  and  wind  storm 
passed  over  that  section  of  country  on  the  iSth.  The  influence 
of  this  equinox  became  complicated  with  that  of  Venus,  which 
happened  eight  days  later.  Europe  felt  the  full  force  of  the  per- 
turbation in  the  tremendous  rainfalls  and  destructive  floods  in 
France  on  the  Garonne,  and  in  Hungary.  Heavy  rains  fell  in 
California  on  the  I4th  and  I5th  of  June,  unusual  at  that  season; 
Chili  had  tremendous  rainfalls,  and  at  Valparaiso  a  destructive 
storm  and  flood.  New  Zealand  had  immense  and  unusual  rains, 
and  a  violent  cyclone.  China  had  her  typhoons.  All  parts  of 


('79) 

the  Globe  in  fact  were  involved,  as  necessarily  must  be  the  case 
under  the  operation  of  a  cosmical  cause.  The  intense  severity 
of  the  paroxysm  that  followed  two  or  three  days  after  the  Venu- 
sian  equinox  makes  me  suspect  more  strongly  than  before,  that 
Vulcanian  equinoxes  occur  every  nj  days,  and  that  his  period- 
icity is  only  23  days.  The  Mercurial  equinox  of  July  iSth,  1875, 
just  passed,  strongly  corroborates  this  view,  as  already  stated, 
by  its  extreme  energy  and  prolongation.  There  is  a  phenomena 
connected  with  the  Mercurial  equinox  of  July  iSth,  1875,  worthy 
of  a  record  :  The  i7th  at  St.  Louis  had  been  unusually  warm. 
At  sunset  a  cloud  appeared  in  the  northern  horizon,  extending 
from  northeast  to  nearly  west,  which,  as  night  approached, 
proved  to  be  an  extended  thunderstorm,  the  flashes  of  the  light- 
ning along  its  whole  line,  were  brilliant,  beautiful,  and  almost 
incessant.  I  am  informed  a  heavy  storm  raged  at  Normal,  Illi- 
nois, at  that  time.  At  about  10  o'clock,  P.  M.,  a  heavy  mass  of 
scud  cloud  separated  from  the  thunder-cloud  and  drifted  rapidly 
clue  South,  accompanied  by  a  brisk  and  extremely  chilly  wind. 
Sergeant  George  Prender,  in  charge  of  the  Signal  Station,  informs 
me  the  thermometer  fell  seven  degrees  in  five  minutes,  which  is 
almost  as  rapidly  as  it  would  fall  if  placed  in  ice.  Such  phe- 
nomena have  a  revelation  to  make,  when  we  once  know  how  to 
interrogate  them. 

The  New  Orleans  Picayune  of  2Oth  of  July,  in  noting  the 
phenomena  of  the  prevailing  Mercurial  perturbation,  and  calling 
public  attention  to  their  extraordinary  character,  says  :  "  The 
change  of  the  iSth  was  of  the  most  radical  and  extraordinary 
character.  The  heat  of  the  previous  day  had  been  almost  un- 
bearable— a  heat  rare  and  exceptional  in  New  Orleans.  The 
i8th  dawned  cold,  raw  and  shivering;  such  a  day  as  we  would 
have  grumbled  at  in  November."  It  gives  the  rainfalls  at  New 
Orleans  of  the  night  of  the  iSth,  and  morning  of  the  i9th,  at 
seven-tenths  of  an  inch.  It  hence  appears  that  what  I  supposed 
at  the  time  to  be  only  an  insignificant,  local  and  temporary  eddy, 
was  in  fact  a  great  atmospheric  movement  from  the  polar  towards 
the  equatorial  region,  traveling  with  great  velocity  almost  due 
South. 

The  ninth  and  last  Vulcanian  equinox  that  occurred  when  this 
volume  was  put  to  press,  was  that  of  July  loth,  1875.  A  low 


(iSo) 

barometer  moved  over  the  Northwest,  the  Upper  Lakes  and 
Canada,  on  the  9th,  loth  and  nth.  On  the  loth  cloudy  and 
rainy  weather  covered  the  country  from  Missouri  and  Arkansas 
east  to  Virginia  and  New  Jersey.  Heavy  rains,  local  floods, 
and  in  some  localities  severe  tornadoes  continued  to  occur  for 
four  and  five  days,  when  there  was  a  short  intermission.  Heavy 
rains  and  floods  were  again  reported  in  Europe,  especially  in 
France  and  Austria..  A  series  of  damaging  local  floods  also  oc- 
curred in  England,  which,  at  the  Mercurial  equinox  of  the  iSth, 
became  very  extensive  and  destructive. 

The  following  telegram,  giving  a  description  of  an  awful  hail- 
storm on  July  7th,  1875,  is  one  of  the  attendant  phenomena  of 
this — Vulcanian — equinox.  Besides  sustaining  the  theory,  it  is 
too  important  an  account  of  the  facts  it  states  to  be  omitted  : 

UA  correspondent*  at  Geneva  gives  an  account  of  the  terrible 
storm  which  broke  over  that  city  at  midnight  of  Wednesday,  the 
7th  inst.  About  eight  o'clock  a  few  heavy  drops  of  rain  began 
to  fall,  and  at  the  same  time  the  whole  circumference  of  the  hori- 
zon began  to  be  fitfully  illuminated  by  flashes  of  sheet  lightning, 
but  there  was  no  thunder.  Once  only  during  the  entire  night 
was  there  one  terrific  clap  of  thunder,  and  that  was  when  the 
storm  was  just  over.  The  lightning  gradually  increased  in 
intensity,  and  became  indeed  actually  and  without  exaggeration 
continuous.  The  entire  atmosphere  seemed  to  be  an  element  of 
flames,  and  all  this  time  there  was  not  the  slightest  movement 
of  air  in  the  streets.  At  about  eleven  o'clock  small  objects  lying 
on  the  roofs  of  the  houses  were  caught  up  and  whirled  around 
as  by  a  cyclone.  Still  there  was  no  movement  of  air  in  the 
street  below.  At  midnight  the  tempest  came  mainly  from  the 
Jura  range  and  from  southwest,  traveling  in  that  direction  toward 
the  basin  of  Lake  Leman.  As  it  neared  the  lake  it  seemed  to 
spread  out  into  a  fan-like  form,  with  a  front  sufficiently  wide  to 
embrace  the  entire  city  ;  it  did  not  last  much  longer  than  ten 
minutes.  At  the  end  of  it  Geneva  was  wrecked  as  no  army  of 
besiegers  could  have  wrecked  it  in  the  same  space  of  time.  The 
storm  came  in  the  shape  of  an  almost  compact  mass — a  sheet  of 
ice,  driven  horizontally  before  the  tempest  blast.  In  the  first 


*NOTE.— T.  A.  Trollope,  of  the  N.  T.  Tribune. 


(iSi) 

instant  every  gas  lamp  in  the  streets — save  here  and  there  one 
was  spared  by  reason  of  some  protecting  roof — was  smashed  to 
atoms  and  extinguished,  but  the  city  was  not  in  darkness,  for  the 
masses  of  coagulated  hail  reflected  the  blue  light  of  the  light- 
ning in  a  ghastly  and  ominous  manner.  The  windows  of  man- 
ufactories and  residences  were  forced  from  their  fastenings,  be- 
sides having  all  the  glass  shivered,  and  bedrooms  and  staircases 
and  saloons  were  thus  thrown  open  to  the  storm,  and  in  a  minute 
or  two  half  rilled  with  masses  of  ice  far  beyond  the  immediate 
power  of  the  inhabitants  to  remove,  for  the  storm  was  marked 
by  the  peculiarity  that  the  hailstones,  or  ice  fragments  rather, 
compacted  themselves  into  a  solid  mass  as  soon  as  they  fell.  On 
the  slope  of  the  left  bank  of  the  river  Arne,  in  the  suburbs  of 
the  city,  the  tiles  of  many  houses  were  absolutely  beaten  to  pow- 
der ;  stout  partitions  of  wooden  plank  were  pierced  by  holes 
such  as  might  have  been  made  by  a  musket  ball.  Three  persons 
were  killed  by  the  fall  of  a  farm  house  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  city.  Vast  quantities  of  sm'all  birds  have  been  picked  up, 
killed  by  the  storm,  and  the  bodies  of  several  foxes  have  been 
found.  Geneva  is  surrounded  by  pleasure  gardens,  vineyards,  and 
market  gardens,  and  these  having  been  destroyed  as  if  a  charge  of 
cavalry  had  passed  over  them,  involves  the  ruin  and  despair  of 
poor  and  industrious  peasants,  whose  all  is  now  taken  from  them 
as  effectually  as  if  it  had  been  sunk  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea." 

The  sheet  lightning,  without  thunder,  is  the  same  that  Mr. 
Wise  and  other  asronauts  have  seen  passing  between  the  lower 
and  upper  cloud  discs  of  a  thunderstorm,  of  which  we  have 
fully  spoken  in  Part  I.  The  manner  in  which  hail  is  formed,  or 
rather  the  cause  and  law  of  hail  formation,  we  also  have  fully 
discussed  there ;  and  the  consolidation  of  the  hail  after  falling,  is 
evidence  of  the  extreme  low  temperature  prevailing  where  the 
hail  was  formed.  The  facts  here  stated  prove  the  cause  we  there 
assigned  for  the  low  temperature,  to  be  the  true  one.  The  blue 
lightning !  This  we  also  discussed.  //  is  the  characteristic 
color  of  the  Electricity  at  the  negative  pole.  Small  objects 
lying  on  the  roofs  of  houses  caught  up  and  whirled  around  as  by 
a  cyclone,  when  there  was  not  the  slightest  movement  of  air  in 
the  streets  !  Why,  is  not  this  the  same  phenomenon  as  the  danc- 
ing figures  on  an  electrified  disc  ?  This  is  not  only  a  very  graphic 


(1 82) 

and  interesting  description  of  such  a  storm,  but  it  presents  more 
important  facts  that  any  other  we  have  met  with  before.  But 
we  explained  and  demonstrated  the  cause  and  law  of  all  these 
phenomena  long  ago. 

The  verification  of  the  Theory  of  Planetary  Meteorological 
Cycles  must  rest  here  as  far  as  the  Past  is  concerned  ;  not  because 
the  material  is  exhausted,  but  for  want  of  time  and  room  ;  for  I 
have  not  presented  one  tithe  of  the  facts  I  have  collected  to  test 
and  establish  the  truth  of  the  Theory  to  my  own  satisfaction. 
Besides,  it  is  not  necessary  to  spend  my  time  in  going  back  and 
exhuming  the  Dead  Past ;  for  I  expect  all  readers  to  have  become 
interested  enough  in  the  subject  to  test  it  to  their  own  satisfac- 
tion, by  the  best  of  all  tests,  the  coming  events  of  the  Living 
Future.  That  they  may  do  so,  I  supply  them  with  all  the  neces- 
sa.ry  facilities,  so  that  it  is  only  for  them  to  note  the  times 
and  make  their  own  observations.  With  these  remarks  I  leave 
the  Theory  to  the  impartial  judgment  of  all  fair  minded  and 
candid  persons,  and  will  abide  by  any  verdict  they  may  pro- 
nounce upon  it. 


CHAPTER  III. 


General  Principles  on  which  all  phenomena  depend.     Hyemal 
phenomena.      Conclusion. 

Incidentally,  as  great  questions  have  arisen,  we  have  laid 
down  and  explained  the  general  principles  involved  ;  and  hence 
it  remains  only  to  present  them  in  a  connected  form,  so  that 
their  relation  and  dependence  can  be  seen  and  comprehended  at 
a  glance. 

Electricity  is  the  ultimate  cause  of  all  physical  phenomena  ; 
hence,  whether  the  phenomena  are  included  in  Meteorology  or 
not,  as  they  are  all  produced  in  accordance  with  electric  laws, 
they  are  explainable,  and  consequently  can  only  be  explained 
by  those  laws  and  principles. 

Electricity  is  a  polar  force,  that  is,  it  consists  of  two  opposite 
polarities,  which  are  idio-repulsive,  but  mutually  attractive. 
These  properties  of  Electricity  is  the  basis  upon  which  the  Uni- 
verse is  founded.  When  these  two  polarities  come  into  direct 
communication,  they  instantly  obliterate  each  other.  It  is  the 
struggle  of  each  to  free  itself,  and  rush  and  embrace  the  other, 
and  the  resistance  interposed  by  the  law  of  conservation  and 
compensation,  to  prevent  such  a  union,  that  causes  the  perpetual 
motion  of  the  Universe.  The  labor  of  one  is  the,,  rolling  stone 
of  Sisyphus  ;  of  the  other,  the  whirling  wheel  of  Ixion.  The 
achievement  of  the  task  is  an  impossibility ;  hence  the  labor 
towards  its  attainment  is  perpetual. 

In  general  terms,  our  theory  of  Cosmology  may  be  stated  as 
follows  :  All  bodies  in  Space  are  negatively  electrified  ;  hence 
they  mutually  repel  each  other,  as  well  as  mutually  attract  each 
other.  There  are  points  in  Space  where  the  mutual  attraction 
and  repulsion  between  two,  three  or  any  other  number  of  bodies, 
are  in  equilibrio.  These  points  within  limits  are  the  spaces  oc- 


(iS4) 

cupied  by  each  planet  or  sun  and  the  paths  they  pursue  around 
a  central  body,  or  around  a  point  far  oft'  in  the  depths  of  Space. 
Space  itself  is  Positive,  hence,  since  all  bodies  are  Negative, 
Space  attracts  them.  A  solar  system  occupying  definite  dimen- 
sions in  Space,  will,  to  a  limited  extent,  neutralize  its  positive 
charge,  hence  render  it  quasi  Negative  to  the  Positive  in  unoccu- 
pied Space.  The  Positive  in  exterior,  or  unoccupied  Space,  will 
hence  attract  the  solar  system  ;  and  the  quasi  Negative  in  occu- 
pied Space,  and  that  which  has  been  occupied,  upon  the  same 
principle,  will  repel  the  solar  system  in  the  direction  of  attrac- 
tion, since  it  is  the  line  of  least  resistance.  Hence,  from  the 
depths  of  Space  untraversed  by  a  solar  system  comes  omnipotent 
attraction,  and  from  that  portion  traversed,  omnipotent  repulsion. 
This  is  the  cause  of  the  perpetual  motion  of  all  solar  systems 
through  Space  ;  and  a  mere  modification  of  it  gives  us  planetary 
motion  around  the  Sun.  But  this  is  forbidden  ground  for  me  to 
traverse  in  the  present  discussion  ;  still  I  have  deemed  it  perti- 
nent to  state  the  general  principles,  because  the  perpetual  motion 
of  the  Atmosphere  involves  the  same  motive  power  in  kind,  but 
not  in  degree. 

Electricity  being  a  duple  force  is  duple  in  its  action,  that  is, 
all  electric  action  is  by  couples,  one  part  of  the  couple  being  Posi- 
tive, the  other  Negative.  Not  only  does  static  Electricity,  that 
is,  Electricity  at  rest,  by  Induction  evoke  its  counterpart,  the 
dynamic,  that  is,  Electricity  in  motion,  but  the  dynamic  flowing 
in  any  direction  by  Induction,  evokes  a  counter  current  to  flow 
in  the  opposite  direction.  If  the  first  current  be  Positive,  then 
the  induced  or  second  current  will  be  Negative,  and  vice  versa. 
The  second  current  will  induce  a  third  also  of  opposite  Electric- 
ity to  itself,  and  flowing  in  an  opposite  direction  ;  and  so  on 
alternately  and  indefinitely,  each  successive  current  however 
diminishing  in  energy. 

In  Part  I  we  have  demonstrated  that  high  and  low  barometers 
are  parallel  electric  currents  flowing  in  opposite  directions. 
According  to  electric  laws  a  low  barometer  therefore  must  in- 
duce a  high  barometer,  and  vice  versa.  Hence  it  is  invariably 
found  that  no  low  barometer  ever  exists  without  a  high  barome- 
ter in  its  vicinage  ;  especially  is  this  the  case  with  low  barome- 
ters carrying  a  tropical  hurricane. 


In  that  case  there  is  not  only  in  the  vicinage  of  the  cyclone  a 
high  barometer,  but  generally  a  very  high  one  ;  for  the  cyclone 
requires  an  immense  amount  of  air  to  supply  its  upheaving  col- 
umn. By  vicinage  we  mean  a  radius  between,  say,  from  400  to 
600  miles  ;  for  in  Nature  the  Cosmical  Forces  exert  their  influ- 
ences through  distances  so  immeasurably  great,  that  distance  as 
measured  by  Man  is  too  insignificant  to  be  taken  into  account. 
Hence  we  speak  of  Mercury  as  being  in  the  vicinage  of  the  Sun, 
though  over  thirty  millions  of  miles  distant  from  it ;  and  hence 
with  propriety  we  can  speak  of  a  high  barometer  as  being  in  the 
vicinage  of  a  low  one,  though  500  miles  distant.  It  is  hardly 
necessary  to  state, — because  it  is  self-evident, — the  closer  the 
proximity  of  the  high  barometer,  the  more  terrific  is  the  energy 
of  the  cyclone. 

A  high  barometer  is  a  descending,  and  a  low  barometer  an 
ascending  current  of  Electricity,  each  composed  of  electrified 
air  that  gives  convection  to  Electricity  ;  one  from  the  surface  of 
the  Earth  upward,  and  the  other  from  the  surface  of  the  aerial 
ocean  downward.  Now  since  we  have  shown  that  the  air  poured 
down  and  out  of  the  anticyclonal  column  of  a  high  barometer, 
flows  on  the  surface  of  the  Earth  into  the  nearest  cyclonal  col- 
umn of  a  low  one,  to  be  upheaved  again,  hence  this  surface  cur- 
rent is  virtually  an  electric  current,  and  consequently,  according 
to  the  law  of  Induction,  it  must  evoke  a  counter  current  in  or  on 
the  surface  of  the  Atmosphere,  flowing  from  the  up-pour  of  the 
low  barometer  to  the  down-pour  of  the  high  barometer.  This 
is  not  a  mere  deduction  of  Reason,  but  it  is  a  fact  established  by 
the  observations  of  the  Signal  Service.  Faint  cirrus  clouds, — 
the  remnants  of  exhausted  storms  that  had  been  generated  over 
the  upheaving  column  of  a  low  barometer, — are  seen  drift- 
ing into  the  down-pouring  vortex  of  a  high  barometer.  An 
elongated  parallelogram  therefore  graphically  represents  the 
electric  couple  composing  a  high  and  a  low  barometer,  two 
sides,  the  down-pouring  column  and  that  on  the  surface  of  the 
Earth  are  Positive  ;  and  two  sides  that  of  the  uprising  column 
and  that  flowing  on  the  surface  of  the  aerial  ocean  are  Negative. 
Two  points  on  this  parallelogram  are  static,  namely,  the  base  of 
the  down-pouring  column  under  a  high  barometer  and  the  apex 
of  the  uprising  column  under  a  low  one  ;  and  two  points  are 


(iS6) 

dynamic,  namely,  the  base  of  the  upheaving  column  under  a  low 
barometer,  and  the  summit  of  the  down-pouring  column  of  a 
high  barometer.  Each  of  these  points  again,  if  scrutinized,  is 
found  to  be  an  electric  couple,  that  is,  its  action  is  duple.  It  has 
a  current  flowing  to  it  as  well  as  from  it,  therefore  it  must  attract 
one  current  and  repel  the  other.  Hence  it  is  static  to  the  current 
it  attracts,  and  dynamic  to  the  current  it  repels.  If  this  parallel- 
ogram is  still  further  examined,  one  half  of  it,  namely,  that  part 
within  the  low  barometer,  is  found  to  be  under  a  clouded  sky  ; 
and  the  other  half,  that  under  the  high  barometer,  is  under  a 
clear  or  clearing  sky. 

High  and  low  barometers  are  continuous  phenomena.  We 
here  speak  not  of  the  permanent  high  barometers  covering  the 
Oceans  on  the  polar  sides  of  the  Tropics  ;  nor  of  the  permanent 
low  barometers  of  Iceland,  of  the  Aluetian  Archipelago,  or  of 
that  covering  the  polar  regions,  but  of  the  transient  high  and 
low  barometers,  the  agents  that  Nature  has  appointed  to  distrib- 
ute in  due  proportion  rain  and  sunshine  over  the  land  so  that  the 
Earth  will  teem  with  its  fruits  in  their  seasons  for  the  sustenance 
of  Man  and  the  lower  animals.  These  are  continuous  phenom- 
ena, that  alternately  roll  from  West  to  East  over  all  parts  of  the 
Globe.  The  duration  of  their  transits  vary  in  length  according 
to  circumstances,  or  according  to  the  electric  condition  of  the 
Earth  and  the  Atmosphere.  In  Winter,  when  the  static  condi- 
tion prevails  over  continents,  the  tendency  for  some  time,  is  to 
form  an  unbroken  series  of  high  barometers  in  rapid  succession. 
In  such  case  there  is  a  protracted  spell  of  a  cold  weather.  In 
Summer,  when  the  dynamic  state  prevails,  the  tendency  is  to 
produce  a  series  of  pulsations  of  low  barometers,  during  whose 
continuance,  there  is  an  influx  of  a  vast  amount  of  moist  air  from 
the  surrounding  Ocean,  and  consequently  of  excessive  rains. 
With  these  exceptional  cases,  high  and  low  barometers  are  reg- 
ular phenomena,  following  each  other  in  rapid  succession  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year,  but  with  varying  energy.  When  the  Earth 
and  the  Atmosphere  are  free  from  extraneous  influences  in 
consequences  of  planetary  equinoxes,  the  phenomena  attending 
these  respective  barometers,  such  as  change  of  temperature,  rain 
and  winds,  are  mild  in  form,  moderate  in  quantity,  and  not  extra- 
ordinary in  energy.  But  when  the  electric  condition  of  the 


(i87) 

Earth  and  the  Atmosphere  is  exacerbated  by  the  occurrence  of 
a  planetary  equinox,  then  the  oscillations  of  the  barometer  not 
only  become  more  frequent,  but  have  greater  range.  Conse- 
quently the  phenomena  attending  them,  also  become  more  fre- 
quent and  manifest  greater  energy.  The  Summer  phenomena 
in  consequence  of  the  dynamic  State  prevalent  over  continents 
being  energized,  there  is  a  stronger  and  more  persistent  indraft 
of  air  demanded,  and  consequently  there  is  a  larger  influx  of 
moist  air  from  the  surrounding  Ocean.  The  result  is  a  heavier 
rainfall  always  takes  place  in  Summer  than  in  Winter ;  and  in 
cases  of  intense  and  persistent  energy,  the  rainfall  becomes 
excessive.  When  at  any  period,  either  in  Summer  or  Winter, 
the  dynamic  state  has  an  undue  predominance,  precipitation  is 
abnormally  in  excess.  Observations  in  all  parts  of  the  Globe 
confirm  this  deduction. 

The  dynamic  state  heaves  up  the  superincumbent  air  over  a 
continent,  hence  necessitates  the  influx  of  air  from  the  Ocean. 
On  the  contrary,  the  static  condition  brings  down  a  maelstrom 
of  air  from  the  surface  of  the  serial  ocean  that  covers  the  Earth 
to  an  unknown  depth.  Hence  during  its  prevalence  there  is  an 
outflow  of  air  upon  the  ocean ;  and  in  Winter  not  only  cold  but 
often  intensely  cold  weather  prevails  during  its  continuance. 

Now,  since  planetary  equinoxes  intensify  the  electric  state, 
whether  it  be  static  or  dynamic,  consequently  it  intensifies  the 
phenomena  that  are  offsprings  of  the  given  state.  In  Winter, 
under  such  conditions,  the  downpouring  current  being  energized, 
the  temperature  ranges  unusually  low,  especially  if  the  down- 
pouring  column  advances,  as  it  does  nine  times  in  ten,  from  the 
circumpolar  regions.  When,  however,  the  dynamic  is  unseason- 
ably protracted  during  any  time  in  Winter,  the  weather  is  mild 
and  very  wet.  But  if  the  energy  of  a  planetary  perturbation  is 
mostly  expended,  as  it  generally  is  in  Winter,  in  producing,  in- 
tensifying and  protracting  the  static  condition,  then  excessive 
cold  prevails  during  its  continuance.  Our  task  now  will  be  to 
substantiate  the  truth  of  this  latter  proposition  by  facts  ascer- 
tained in  investigating  as  far  as  we  had  the  opportunity  and 
means,  the  hyemal  phenomena  attending  planetary  equinoxes. 

In  our  verification  of  planetary  cycles,  it  was  found  that,  in 
America,  where  the  low  barometers  generally  originate  on  the 


(i88) 

Rocky  Mountains  in  the  West,  they  coincide  within  very  narrow 
limits  with  the  periods  of  the  equinoxes.  Consequently,  as  a 
low  barometer  is  only  one  part  of  an  electric  couple,  its 
fellow,  the  other  part,  must  either  precede  or  succeed  it  in  close 
proximity  ;  or  it  must  do  both.  In  Summer,  when  the  dynamic 
prevails  on  continents,  and  consequently  low  barometers  ;  the 
term  of  the  static  for  producing  high  barometers  is  of  short  du- 
ration. Though  it  brings  the  refreshing,  exhilarating  and  often 
bracing  west  wind  so  grateful  after  the  sweltering  heat  that  ac- 
companies a  low  barometer,  yet  we  take  so  little  note  of  it  that 
we  have  never  inquired  into  its  cause.  But  the  Winter  phenom- 
ena of  the  static  affect  us  so  disagreeably  as  to  compel  attention. 
The  intensely  cold  weather  they  bring  not  only  makes  us  un- 
comfortable, but  exerts  a  deleterious  effect  upon  domestic  ani- 
mals and  upon  our  fields,  orchards  and  vineyards.  These  phe- 
nomena are  fierce  snowstorms  in  the  afterpart  and  rear  of  the 
retreating  low  barometer,  followed  by  arctic  cold  weather. 

The  first  point  necessary  to  be  established  is  that,  intensely 
cold  weather  is  an  accompaniment  of  planetary  disturbances  in 
Winter ;  and  after  that,  to  determine  as  near  as  possible  the  ap- 
proximate time  relatively  to  the  date  of  the  equinox  that  these 
cold  spells  make  their  appearance,  and  the  order  in  which  the 
phenomena  follow  each  other.  The  general  order — as  far  as  I 
am  able  to  determine — appears  to  be  :  (i)  Five  or  six  days,  and 
even  more,  before  the  occurrence  of  the  equinox,  an  energetic 
high  barometer,  and  consequently  very  cold  weather  ;  (2)  A  low 
barometer  on,  or  a  day  or  two  before  and  sometimes  after  the  equi- 
nox, accompanied  with  moderate,  often  warm  weather,  and  rain 
and  snow ;  and,  (3)  a  high  barometer  with  fierce  wind  and  snow 
storm  from  the  Northwest  or  West,  culminating  in  intensely  cold 
weather.  The  cold  weather  of  January  ist,  1864 — the  most  ter- 
rible frost  ever  experienced  in  the  Mississippi  Valley — affords  a 
general  illustration  of  the  principle  here  stated. 

In  St.  Louis  County  the  lowest  temperature  observed  was 
between  3  and  4  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  ist  of  January, 
when  the  thermometer  stood  28  °  below  zero.  At  my  residence 
at  5  o'clock  A.  M.,  it  stood  26°  below.  Dr.  Englemann's  ob- 
servation in  the  heart  of  the  city,  at  7  A.  M.,  was  22  °  .5.  The 
following  were  the  astronomical  condition  at  the  time  :  Mer- 


(,S9) 

cury's  equinox,  December  23d,  1863  ;  Vulcan's,  December  28th, 
1863,  and  January  2Oth  1864;  Mars,  January  2Oth,  same  day  as 
Vulcan  ;  and  Venus,  February  6th.  The  weather  from  Christ- 
mas to  the  forenoon  of  December  31  st,  1863,  had  been  mild, 
some  days  quite  so,  with  rain  and  snow.  About  the  middle  of 
the  forenoon  of  that  day,  the  wind  veered  to  the  West,  and  a 
furious  snowstorm  set  in,  with  rapidly  falling  thermometer  ;  at 
4  o'clock  the  thermometer  stood  at  12  °  below  zero,  with  a  ter- 
rible arctic  snowstorm  raging  that  no  human  being  could  face. 
Many  persons  out  hunting,  and  even  on  the  highway,  became 
bewildered,  lost,  and  perished  with  the  cold.  The  next  morn- 
ing and  day  was  the  coldest  ever  experienced  in  the  centre  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley.  It  extended  to  the  Gulf  States.  The  armies 
suffered  terribly ;  many  soldiers  were  frost-bitten,  and  in  the 
Union  Army  sentinels  froze  at  their  posts,  in  the  States  of  Mis- 
sissippi, Alabama  and  Georgia. 

\Ve  wish  we  had  the  daily  observations,  so  as  to  trace  both 
the  range  of  the  barometer  and  thermometer  during  this  period  ; 
but  we  have  only  averages,  which  tell  nothing  we  want  to  know. 
Mr.  Huron  Burt,  of  Williamsburg,  Missouri,  in  his  fragmentary 
journal,  before  us,  stops  at  the  I9th  of  December,  1863,  and  it 
is  not  resumed  until  the  ist  of  January,  1864.  His  journal  shows 
rain  sleet  and  snow,  up  to  the  iSth.  On  the  i9th  he  says : 
"Thermometer  at  zero,  with  a  terribly  fierce  wind  from  the 
West."  This  was  in  consequence  of  a  high  barometer  follow- 
ing the  low  barometer  that  had  scattered  rain,  sleet  and  snow  on 
the  previous  days  ;  and  this  high  barometer  preceded  the  Mer- 
curial equinox  by  four  days;  What  the  phenomena  were  at  the 
equinox,  I  cannot  say,  because  I  can  find  no  data  that  show  ;  and 
for  the  same  reason  I  cannot  say  what  they  were  between  that 
and  the  Vulcanian  equinox  five  days  later.  Generally  speaking, 
the  weather  was  mild,  with  rain,  sleet  and  some  snow  at  the 
Vulcanian  equinox.  The  high  barometer  that  succeeded  the 
low  which  had  passed  two  or  three  days  before,  brought  with  it 
that  exceptionally  and  terribly  fierce,  cold  weather  that  prevailed 
for  two  weeks  afterwards,  with  temperature  at  zero  to  26  °  belowr. 
If  the  history  of  this  high  barometer  could  be  written,  it  would 
be  found  to  have  originated  in  the  Arctic  Circle,  somewhere 
near  the  mouth  of  Mackenzie's  River  on  the  Polar  Sea,  and  that 


(190) 

its  path  was  southeast,  passing  slowly  and  centrally  over  Dakota, 
Nebraska,  Kansas  and  Missouri,  thence  through  Georgia,  into 
the  Atlantic,  where  it  joined  the  Sargasso  permanent  high 
barometer. 

As  the  Martial  and  Vulcanian  equinoxes  were  approaching, 
both  taking  place  on  the  2oth  of  January,  the  weather  moderated, 
which  is  the  same  as  saying  the  barometer  fell  and  the  thermom- 
eter rose,  for  the  mercurial  columns  in  the  two  instruments,  ex- 
cept in  very  rare  and  exceptional  cases,  always  move  in  opposite 
directions. 

On  the  23d  of  January,  Mr.  Burt  has  this  entry  upon  his  jour- 
nal:  "For  the  last  ten  days  the  barometer  has  ranged  from 
8  °  to  30°  at  sunrise,  and  from  30°  to  52°  in  the  warmest 
part  of  the  day."  On  the  29th  he  makes  this  record  :  "  For  the 
last  week  the  thermometer  has  ranged  at  sunrise  from  40  °  to 
60  °  ,  and  in  the  warmest  part  of  the  day  from  69  °  to  72  °  .  It 
rained  last  night." 

Dr.  Englemann,  in  the  remarks  appended  to  his  table  of  aver- 
ages for  the  month  of  January,  1864,  speaking  of  temperature, 
says,  "  the  highest  was  in  the  afternoon  of  January  27th  ;  and  we 
had  two  thunderstorms  in  one  day,  on  the  29th." 

An  equinox  of  Mercury  occurred  on  the  5th  of  February,  one 
of  Venus  on  the  6th,  and  another  of  Vulcan  on  the  1 2th  of  Feb- 
ruary. We  have  been  unable  to  find  any  daily  record  of  the 
condition  of  the  weather  at  this  time.  Mr.  Burt  gives  a  sum- 
mary as  follows  :  "February  i6th,  after  two  weeks  of  unusually 
mild  winter  weather,  it  turned  suddenly  cold,  thermometer  at 
zero.  February  iSth,  thermometer  r  °  below  zero  ;  ground  dry 
and  dusty."  Dr.  Englemann's  averages  show  an  unusually  small 
amount  of  precipitation  ;  atmospheric  pressure  a  small  fraction 
above  the  general  average  ;  the  mean  temperature  nearly  2  °  high- 
er than  the  general  average  ;  and  the  principal  winds  from  the 
West.  Wind  from  the  West  indicates  a  high  barometer  nearly 
Southwest,  that  is,  south  of  a  line  drawn  from  St.  Louis  to 
Santa  Fe.  A  high  barometer  always  draws  its  supply  of  air, 
which  it  pours  out  upon  the  surface  of  the  Earth,  from  the  direc- 
tion whence  it  comes.  If  a  high  barometer  therefore  approaches 
the  parallel  of  latitude  of  any  locality  from  the  South,  then  it 
draws  its  supply  of  air  from  the  South,  and  consequently  the 


(190 

weather  is  warm.  In  Part  I  we  have  shown  that  the  high 
barometer  that  pours  down  the  simooms  felt  in  Colorado,  Kansas, 
Nebraska,  and  often  in  Iowa  and  Missouri,  is  a  high  barometer 
that  has  come  from  the  South,  and  draws  its  supply  of  air  from 
the  heated  plains  of  the  Oronoco  and  Apure,  in  South  America. 
Likewise  have  we  there  shown  that  the  Arctic  cold  that  over- 
flows the  country  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  is  the  downpour 
and  outpour  of  a  high  barometer  that  has  come  from  within  the 
Arctic  Circle,  and  draws  its  supply  of  air  thence.  The  direction 
that  these  high  barometers  coming  from  the  North  move,  is 
Southeast,  to  join  the  permanent  high  barometer  in  the  Atlantic, 
near  the  Bermudas.  The  southern  barometers  I  do  not  consider 
as  detached  barometers  ;  but  the  one  that  appears  on  our  South- 
western Plains  is  either  the  Atlantic  permanent  high  barometer, 
on  an  extreme  western  oscillation,  or  the  Pacific  high  barometer 
located  west  of  the  Gulf  of  California,  on  an  extreme  eastern 
oscillation.  It  is  a  well  established  fact  that  these  barometers 
not  only  frequently  join  hands  across  a  continent,  but  meet  and 
embrace.  The  Atlantic  high  barometer,  in  its  eastern  swing, 
frequently  covers  the  whole  of  Northern  Africa. 

In  America  the  transient,  or  wandering  high  barometers,  have 
three  well-defined  points,  whence  they  issue  from  the  Arctic 
Circle  ;  the  first  is  near  the  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie  River  ;  the 
second  near  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine  ;  the  third  about  the 
mouth  of  Big  Fish  River.  Those  originating  at  the  first  point, 
unless  deflected  by  low  barometers  in  their  front,  ascend  the 
Valley  of  the  Mackenzie  into  the  Missouri  Valley,  thence  to  the 
coast  of  Georgia  and  South  Carolina  ;  those  of  the  second  point 
ascend  westward  of  Hudson's  Bay,  over  the  Great  Lakes  to  the 
coast  of  the  Middle  Atlantic  States,  they  cause  the  North  and 
Northeast  cold  winds  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  the  North- 
west and  West  cold  winds  of  the  New  England  States  ;  those  of 
the  third  point  ascend  east  of  Hudson's  Bay  over  Labrador,  and 
pour  over  the  New  England  States  those  intensely  cold  north  and 
northeast  winds.  In  Europe  they  issue  from  the  Polar  Ocean, 
east  of  the  White  Sea,  and  pour  those  destructive  cold  north  and 
northeact  winds  over  that  continent. 

Our  inference  then  is  that  a  high  barometer  prevailed  during 
the  latter  half  of  January  and  early  part  of  February,  1864,  with 


(I92) 

the  exception  of  about  the  28th  and  2961  of  January,  when  there 
must  have  been  a  low  barometer,  but  that  this  high  barometer 
was  a  Southern  and  not  a  Northern  high  barometer.  Hence  its 
extreme  mildness  and  dryness  ;  that  about  the  time  of  the  Vul- 
canian  equinox  a  low  barometer  passed  over  the  continent,  and 
that  an  Arctic  high  barometer  followed  in  its  rear,  bringing  on 
the  sudden  change  recorded  by  Mr.  Burt  on  the  i6th. 

Since  energetic  high  as  well  as  low  barometers  are  character- 
istic phenomena  of  planetary  disturbances,  therefore  they  must 
also  characterize  the  Jovial  perturbation.  Hence  we  know  that, 
a  priori,  that  intensely  cold  weather  is  liable  to  occur  during  the 
prevalence  of  a  Jovial  perturbation.  We  wish  it  distinctly  noted 
that  what  we  say  does  not  imply  that  such  weather  is  inevitable, 
but  only  that  it  is  liable  to  occur.  We  have  already  explained 
the  reason  for  this,  by  the  statement  that  the  temperature  of  the 
weather  depends  upon  the  locality  where  the  prevailing  high 
barometers  during  Winter  originate.  If  they  originate  near  or 
within  the  Tropics,  then  their  downpouring  and  outpouring  col- 
umn of  air  is  supplied  by  the  equatorial  permanently  low  barom- 
eter, and  during  the  prevalence  of  such  a  barometer  the  weather 
will  be  unusually  mild.  But  if  they  originate  within  the  Arctic 
Circle,  they  will  draw  their  supply  of  air  from  the  upheaving 
column  of  the  polar  permanently  low  barometer,  and  the  weather 
consequently  will  be  intensely  cold.  Hence  the  winter  temper- 
ature at  all  times  depends  upon  the  locality  where  the  high 
barometer  originated  that  for  the  time  being  is  traversing  a  Tem- 
perate Zone.  As  during  a  Jovial  perturbation  the  barometer  is 
liable  to  act  with  extraordinary  energy,  abnormally  cold  weather 
is  then  likely  to  occur.  Such  are  the  deductions  justified  by  the 
principles  of  the  general  theory  of  planetary  perturbations  ;  and 
hence  we  made  an  investigation  to  ascertain  whether  the  facts 
of  history  verified  the  deductions.  The  following  is  the  result 
of  our  investigation,  and  the  correspondence  or  otherwise  of  all 
the  facts  we  were  able  to  find.  It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  in. 
history  only  the  year  is  recorded  ;  and  as  they  arc  winter  phe- 
nomena, we  are  unable  to  say  whether  the  events  occurred  at  the 
beginning  or  the  end  of  the  year.  Of  course  this  prevented  us 
from  comparing  them  with  any  other  equinoxes  than  those  of 
Jupiter  and  Saturn. 


093) 

In  the  year  401  the  Euxine  was  frozen  over  20  days.  Jupiter's 
major  equinox  occurred  in  January,  401. 

From  October,  763,  to  February,  764,  the  weather  was  so  in- 
tensely cold  at  Constantinople  that  the  two  seas  were  frozen  100 
miles  from  shore.  A  Jovial  equinox  in  763. 

In  1035  a  frost  occurred  in  England  in  Midsummer-day,  "that 
destroyed  the  fruits  of  the  Earth."  A  Jovial  equinox  in  July,  1035. 

In  1063  the  Thames  was  frozen  over  for  14  weeks.  Jovial 
equinox,  1064. 

In  the  year  1076,  dreadful  frosts  in  England  from  November 
to  April.  A  Jovial  equinox  occurred  in  December,  1076. 

In  the  year  1294,  the  Cattegat  was  entirely  frozen  over.  This 
frost  does  not  fall  within  the  limits  of  either  a  Jovial  or  Saturnian 
period. 

In  the  year  1323,  the  Baltic  was  passable  for  travelers  for  six 
weeks.  If  this  was  at  the  close  of  the  year,  it  comes  within  17 
months  of  a  Jovial  equinox. 

In  the  year  1402,  the  Baltic  was  frozen  from  Pomerania  to 
Denmark.  Jupiter's  equinox  1403.3. 

In  1407,  all  the  small  birds  perished  with  cold  in  England. 
Jovial  equinox  1409.13.  If,  therefore,  this  frost  occurred  at  the 
close  of  the  year  1407,  it  was  within  13  months  of  a  Jovial  equi- 
nox, and  hence  within  the  period  of  perturbation. 

In  the  year  1426,  horsemen  rode  on  the  ice  upon  the  Baltic,  from 
Lubec  to  Pomerania.  A  Jovial  equinox  in  1427. 

In  1433,  the  frost  in  Germany  was  so  intense,  "that  all  the 
fowls  of  the  air  sought  shelter  in  the  towns."  A  Jovial  equinox 
occurred  in  1432.92.  In  England  the  Thames  was  frozen  over 
below  London  Bridge  to  Gravesend,  from  November  24th,  1433, 
to  February  loth,  1434.  This  event  falls  within  the  perturba- 
tion of  1432.92. 

In  the  year  1460,  the  Baltic  was  frozen  over,  and  horsemen 
rode  across  from  Denmark  to  Sweden.  A  Jovial  equinox 
occurred  1462.56.  Unless  this  frost  occurred  at  the  close  of  the 
year  1460,  it  does  not  fall  within  the  limits  of  the  Jovial  pertur- 
bation. 

In  the  year  1468,  the  winter  was  so  intensely  cold  in  Flanders 
that  the  wine  distributed  was  cut  by  hatchets.  A  Jovial  equinox 
occurred  in  May,  1468. 


094) 

In  1515,  carriages  passed  on  the  Thames  from  Lambeth  to 
Westminster.  A  Jovial  equinox  occurred  in  December,  1515. 

In  1544,  wine  froze  solid  in  Flanders.  A  Jovial  equinox  oc- 
curred in  July,  1545. 

In  1548,  sledges  were  drawn  by  oxen  on  the  Baltic,  from  Ros- 
tock to  Denmark.  This  event  does  not  fall  with  a  perturbation 
of  either  Jupiter  or  Saturn. 

December  2ist,  1564,  diversions  on  the  Thames  commenced. 
In  January,  1565,  loaded  wagons  crossed  the  Scheldt.  A  Jovial 
equinox  in  June,  1563.  These  events  took  place  from  18  to  19 
months  after,  and  therefore  can  hardly  be  included  amongst  the 
phenomena  of  the  perturbation. 

In  the  year  1594,  the  Rhine  and  the  Scheldt  were  frozen  over. 
A  Jovial  equinox  in  1593. 

In  1607,  diversions  and  bonfires  on  the  Thames.  The  nearest 
Jovial  equinox  occurred  in  November,  1604,  therefore  this  event 
has  no  relation  to  a  Jovial  perturbation. 

In  1622,  the  rivers  of  Europe  and  the  Zuyder  Zee  were  frozen 
over,  and  the  Hellespont  covered  with  ice.  A  Jovial  equinox  oc- 
curred in  August,  1622. 

In  1658,  Charles  X  of  Sweden  crossed  the  Little-Belt  over  the 
ice  from  Holstein  to  Denmark  with  his  whole  army,  horse  and 
foot,  with  large  trains  of  artillery  and  baggage.  A  Jovial  equi- 
nox occurred  in  May,  1658. 

In  1683-84,  a  terrible  frost  occurred  in  England.  It  began  at 
the  beginning  of  December,  1683,  and  lasted  until  the  4th  of 
February,  1684.  The  Thames  was  covered  with  ice  eleven 
inches  thick  ;  nearly  all  the  birds  perished  ;  the  forest  trees,  even 
the  oaks,  were  split  by  the  frost,  and  most  of  the  hollies  were 
killed.  The  nearest  Jovial  equinox  to  this  event  occurred  in 
August,  1681,  consequently  the  event  did  not  occur  within  the 
period  of  a  Jovial  perturbation.  A  Saturnian  perturbation  how- 
ever was  prevailing  at  the  time. 

In  the  winter  of  1691-92,  the  severity  of  the  winter  and  the 
intense  cold  drove  the  wolves  into  Vienna,  where  they  attacked 
cattle,  and  even  men.  A  Jovial  equinox  occurred  in  May,  1693. 

Three  months  frost  and  heavy  snow  occurred'  from  December 
to  March,  1709.  This  event  does  not  fall  within  a  Jovial  per- 
turbation. 


(i95) 

A  fair  was  held  on  the  Thames,  commencing  on  the  24th  of 
November,  1715,  and  continued  to  February  9th,  1716.  This 
event  hardly  falls  within  the  Jovial  perturbation, -which  culmi- 
nated in  July,  1717.  A  Saturnian  equinox  however  took  place 
early  in  January,  1716.  The  reader  will  remember  that  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1716,  those  extraordinary  auroras  took  place  that  were 
called  ''Lord  Derwentwater's  Lights,"  from  the  fact  that  one 
occurred  on  the  day  of  his  execution. 

In  1740  a  protracted  frost  occurred  in  England,  that  lasted 
nine  weeks.  Coaches  plied  upon  the  Thames,  and  all  kinds  of 
festivities  and  diversions  took  place  upon  the  ice.  This  was 
called  the  "Hard  Winter."  A  Jovial  equinox  occurred  in 
April,  1741. 

From  December  25th,  1765,  to  January  i6th,  1766,  and  from 
January  iSth  to  2zd,  a  frost  with  the  most  terrible  effects  pre- 
vailed in  England  and  Europe.  A  Jovial  equinox  occurred  in 
January,  1765.  This  is  the  first  instance  where  we  have  specific 
dates  that  enable  us  to  test  the  accuracy  of  the  deduction  by 
comparing  the  dates  of  specific  phenomena  with  those  of  the 
equinoxes  of  the  inferior  planets.  Venus  passed  her  equinox 
December  22d,  1765,  being  most  probably  accompanied  by  a  low 
barometer  with  mild  weather  and  a  storm  of  more  or  less  energy. 
This  low  barometer  was  followed  by  an  Arctic  high  barometer, 
that  with  persistent  pertinacity  maintained  itself  until  it  was  dis- 
placed by  a  low  barometer  evoked  by  the  Mercurial  equinox  of 
the  1 6th  of  January.  Two  days  after,  another  Arctic  high 
barometer  supervened,  enduring  only  four  days,  when  it  was  dis- 
placed by  the  low  barometer  attending  the  Vulcanian  equinox 
of  January  25th. 

A  generally  severe  frost  prevailed  over  Europe  in  the  Winter 
of  1788-89.  The  Thames  was  passable  on  the  ice  opposite  the 
Custom  House,  from  November  to  January.  A  Jovial  equinox 
occurred  about  the  ist  of  October,  1788.  As  neither  specific 
facts  nor  dates  are  given,  we  cannot  apply  the  test  of  the  pertur- 
bations of  the  interior  planets.  A  Mercurial  equinox,  however, 
it  may  be  stated,  occurred  on  November  4th,  and  another  on 
December  i8th,  1788,  and  one  of  Venus  on  the  lyth  of  Janu- 
uary,  1789. 

In  England,  an  intense  frost  prevailed   from  the  24th  of  De- 


(i96) 

cember,  1794,  to  the  I4th  of  February,  1795,  with  but  one  day's 
thaw,  January  23d.  The  Jovial  equinox  occurred  on  September 
ist,  1794  ;  Venusian  equinox,  November  25th  ;  Mercurv,  Decem- 
ber 23d;  Vulcan,  December  24th,  1794,  and  January  iSth,  and 
February  8th,  1795  ;  Mercury,  February  5th. 

Intense  frosts  all  through  December,  1796;  the  25th  is  said  to 
have  been  the  coldest  day  ever  felt  in  London.  Mercury's  equi- 
nox occurred  November  24th  ;  Vulcan's,  December  2d  and  25th. 

The  cold  in  Russia  in  1812,  surpassed  in  intensity  that  of  any 
winter  for  many  years.  It  was  very  fatal  to  the  French  army 
in  its  retreat  from  Moscow.  Napoleon  commenced  his  retreat 
on  the  9th  of  November,  when  the  frost  covered  the  ground,  and 
the  men  perished  in  battalions  ;  the  horses  falling  by  hundreds 
along  the  roads.  With  the  loss  in  battle,  and  the  loss  of  this 
terrible  and  calamitous  frost,  France,  in  the  campaign  of  this  year, 
lost  400,000  men.  Jupiter  passed  his  equinox  on  the  8th  of 
June,  1812.  The  days  of  intense  cold  are  not  specifically 
named,  only  that  the  weather  was  intensely  cold,  from  Novem- 
ber, 1812,  to  February,  1813.  The  following  were  the  planetary 
equinoxes  about  this  time  :  Venus,  February  1 2th,  1813;  Mer- 
cury, October  22d,  December  5th,  1812,  and  January  iSth, 
1813  ;  Vulcan,  November  2oth,  December  i.3th,  1812,  and  Janu- 
ary 5th  and  28th,  1813. 

On  January  I3th,  1810,  quicksilver  froze  hard  at  Moscow. 
The  equinox  of  Venus  occurred  December  i7th,  1809  ;  that  of  • 
Mercury,  January  nth,  1810.  It  seems  to  have  been  an  Arctic 
high  barometer  following  the  low  barometer  of  the  Mercurial 
equinox.  In  Norway,  on  January  2d,  1849,  quicksilver  froze. 
Jupiter's  equinox  had  occurred  just  about  a  year  before  ;  Vul- 
can's, December  29th,  1848;  Venus,  January  roth,  1849.  It 
seems  to  have  been  an  Arctic  high  barometer  following  the  Vul- 
canian  equinox  that  probably  had  been  accompanied  with  alow 
barometer  and  storm. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d,  4th  and  5th  of  February,  1856, 
the  thermometer  in  St.  Louis  County  stood  respectively  17  °» 
22  °  and  8  °  below  zero  ;  the  weather  then  moderated  some- 
what, but  it  snowed  nearly  every  day  for  the  balance  of  the 
month.  The  equinox  of  Venus  occurred  February  7th-  On 
the  last  days  of  January  it  had  thawed  and  rained  a  little,  wind- 


ing  up  with  a  snowstorm  on  the  ist  of  February.  The  low  tem- 
perature unquestionably  was  brought  by  an  Arctic  high  barom- 
eter following  the  low  barometer  that  had  prevailed  a  few  days 
before.  It  will  be  observed  the  cold  high  barometer  preceded 
the  Venusian  equinox  several  clays.  This  I  find  is  almost  invar- 
iably the  case  with  all  the  planetary  equinoxes.  All  that  is  ex- 
ceptional in  this  case,  is  that  the  greatest  intensity  of  cold  came 
before,  instead  of  after  the  equinox  which  is  generally  the  case. 
The  alternation  seems  to  be  first  a  high  barometer  then  a  low 
one,  generally  a  day  or  so  previous  to  the  equinox,  then  almost 
invariably  an  Arctic  high  barometer  follows  with  intensely  cold 
weather  during  its  presence. 

From  the  23d  to  the  3oth  of  December,  1860,  the  cold  was  ex- 
cessive in  England.  On  the  25th  of  December,  in  some  parts  the 
thermometer  fell  as  low  as  20  °  below  zero.  Jupiter's  equinox 
had  occurred  about  thirteen  months  before  ;  Mercury's  occurred 
2ist  of  December,  or  two  days  before  the  excessive  cold  com- 
menced ;  and  that  of  Venus  was  about  to  occur,  namely,  on 
the  9th  of  January,  1861.  This  seems  to  have  been  an  Arctic 
high  barometer  following  the  low  barometer  that  attended  the 
Mercurial  equinox. 

The  Venusian  equinox  of  January  9th, -1857,  was  immediately 
followed  by  an  intensely  cold  spell  of  weather  that  lasted  about 
two  weeks,  in  which  the  thermometer  marked  at  sunrise  from 
8  °  to  20  °  below  zero. 

Again  I  find  the  material  collected  too  vast  to  be  handled. 
Pursuing  a  line  of  thought  that  seems  never  to  have  occurred  to 
any  before,  I  had  to  feel  my  way  cautiously,  and  at  every  step 
to  assure  myself  that  I  stood  upon  firm  and  impregnable  ground. 
This  was  a  difficult  task,  since  for  this  purpose  I  must  have  indi- 
vidual facts  ;  and  but  few  individual  facts — they  are,  however,  of 
the  strongest  marked  characteristics  —  have  escaped  being 
swamped  in  the  Dead  Sea  of  averages.  But  the  few,  the  very 
few  that  have  escaped  this  fate  are  fragmentary  ;  that  is,  they  are 
not  consecutive,  or  a  concatenation  of  facts,  showing  what 
events  preceded  or  followed  them.  For  example :  our  theory 
postulates  that  at  planetary  disturbances,  the  following  to  be  the 
order  in  which  phenomena  succeed  each  other:  (i)  a  high 
barometer,  and  in  Winter  accompanied  by  severelv  cold  weather, 


(193) 

precedes  the  equinox.  (2)  Alow  barometer  at  the  equinox,  con- 
sequently moderate  weather,  accompanied  by  a  rain  or  snow 
storm  ;  and  (3)  A  high  barometer  following  the  low,  generally 
accompanied  by  extremely  cold  weather.  To  verify  and  demon- 
strate these  assumptions  we  want  all  the  phenomena,  and  in  the 
order  of  their  occurrence.  Instead  of  having  the  whole  order, 
we  have  fragmentary  parts  of  it.  If  the  phenomena  of  the  first 
high  barometer  have  been  exceptionally  severe,  we  have  them 
alone,  and  consequently  disconnected.  If  the  phenomena  of  the 
low  barometer  have  been  extraordinary,  they  are  noted,  but  no 
statement  of  the  events  that  either  preceded  nor  followed  them. 
If  the  phenomena  of  the  second  and  last  high  barometer  have 
been  remarkable,  we  find  them  recorded,  but  nothing  is  said  of 
the  attending  conditions  nor  circumstances.  Moreover,  the  facts 
stated  are  mere  skeletons  of  the  events  that  have  taken  place. 
For  instance,  if  intensely  cold  weather  has  prevailed,  the  mate- 
rial fact  is  not  stated  that  it  was  the  concomitant  of  a  high  barom- 
eter, for  a  few  full  statements  would  soon  suggest  the  inference 
that  the  two  phenomena  stand  to  each  other  in  the  relation  of 
cause  and  effect.  Hence  the  omission  is  vital.  This  is  precisely 
the  defective  condition  facts  are  found  to  be  in,  by  every  investi- 
gator who  makes  original  researches,  and  who  attempts  to  trace 
through  consecutive  phenomena  the  operations  of  a  physical  law. 

We  have  any  number  of  extraordinary  hyemal  phenomena, 
such  as  excessive  snow  falls,  and  intensely  fierce  frosts  ;  but  all 
we  can  do  towards  a  verification  of  the  theory  is  to  produce  the 
astronomical  testimony  that  one  kind  have  occurred  at  a  plane- 
tary equinox  and  the  other  kind  has  immediately  preceded  or  fol- 
lowed such  an  equinox.  This  is  very  strong  circumstantial  evi- 
dence, but  not  positive  proof.  We  will  present  a  few  of  these 
phenomena  in  verification  of  the  theory,  where  we  have  the  con- 
tinuous observations,  or  where  we  have  been  able  to  exhume  the 
missing  facts  ;  and  then  we  will  close  with  the  hope  that  the 
mode  of  recording  and  preserving  observations  of  physical  phe- 
nomena may  be  changed  in  the  Future,  so  that  when  any  physi- 
cal law  is  discovered,  it  can  be  traced  out,  demonstrated  and 
verified  by  the  records  of  facts  ;  for  no  physical  law  can  now  be 
specifically  established  by  observations  in  the  Past. 

The  first  phenomena  we  will  adduce  are  those  whereof  we 


(J99) 

have  the  consecutive  facts  as  observed  by  Sergeant  Charles  P. 
Fish,  at  the  station,  Island  of  Saint  Paul.  Behring  Sea.  A  Vul- 
canian  equinox  occurred  on  the  24th  of  January,  1873.  Mr. 
Fish's  observations  are,  that  from  January  i7th  to  I9th,  a  high 
barometer,  30.19  at  times  prevailed,  and  for  the  first  time  dur- 
ing the  season  the  thermometer  was  below  zero  ;  on  the  iSth  it 
was  10°  below.  Under  a  falling  barometer,  descending  as  low 
as  29.33  on  the  25th,  the  thermometer  rose  to  20°  above  zero. 
Under  a  rising  barometer  attaining  to  30.40,  the  thermometer 
again  fell  to  8  °  below  zero,  on  the  27th.  The  facts  in  order  are 
(i)  High  or  rising  barometer  from  i6th  to  i9th,  with  temper- 
ature below  zero.  (2)  Falling  or  low  barometer  from  2oth  to 
25th,  (the  equinox  on  the  24th)  temperature  above  zero  ;  and 
(3)  Rising  or  high  barometer  from  26th  to  28th,  with  tempera- 
ture again  below  zero. 

The  next  phenomena  are  in  all  respects  similar,  only  modified 
by  the  fact  that  Vulcan's  equinox  of  February  i6th,  1873,  was 
complicated  with  a  Mercurial  equinox  of  February  iSth.  The 
barometer  at  the  same  station,  on  the  8th  day  of  February,  stood 
at  28.82.  It  then  commenced  rising,  and  on  the  loth  the  ther- 
mometer stood  12  °  below  zero  ;  it  remained  below  zero  all  the 
time  from  the  afternoon  of  the  9th  until  noon  of  the  I3th.  With 
a  falling  and  low  barometer  (28.44)  on  the  day  of  the  equinox, 
the  thermometer  had  risen  to  34  °  ,  with  rain  and  snow  from  the 
1 3th.  The  Mercurial  equinox  on  the  iSth  was  accompanied 
with  a  low  barometer,  (28.32),  mild  temperature,  and  rain  and 
snow  every  day  until  March  ist,  when  a  high  barometer  (30.31) 
sent  the  thermometer  down  to  5  °  below  zero  again.  At  the 
Vulcanian  equinox  on  the  nth  of  March,  the  observations  at 
the  same  station  show  a  repetition  of  the  same  phenomena, 
namely,  March  9th  and  loth,  thermometer  below  zero  ;  March 
nth  and  I2th,  time  of  equinox,  above  zero;  March  I3th  to 
i7th,  thermometer  below  zero.  These  three  are  the  only  instan- 
ces we  were  able  to  find  in  which  there  are  consecutive  observa- 
tions. It  will  be  seen  they  indicate  the  order  of  the  appearance 
of  the  phenomena  to  be  as  we  have  stated  it. 

The  following  instances,  though  the  facts  are  incomplete,  we 
present  as  a  further  illustration  of  the  principle  : 

A  condensed  statement  of  the   observations   at  the  station  at 


(200) 

Breckenridge,  Minnesota,  for  December,  1873,  is  as  follows: 
December  2d  to  6th,  from  2  °  to  25  °  below  zero.  7th  and  Sth, 
from  8°  to  n  °  above,  (Venusian  equinox  on  the  9th.)  9th  to 
i4th,  8°  to  10°  below.  Vulcanian  equinox  on  the  I2th.  i5th, 
i°  above.  i6th,  o.  i7th  to  25th, .  from  9°  to  29°  below. 
Mercurial  equinox  on  the  23d.  26th  to  3ist,  S°  above  to  9  ° 
below.  January  ist  and  2d,  1874,  from  15°  to  20°  above. 
From  the  3d  to  the  6th,  from  8  °  to  29  °  below.  Vulcanian 
equinox  on  the  4th.  The  order  of  the  phenomena  were,  high 
barometer  and  cold  appeared  seven  days,  and  low  barometer 
and  rise  of  temperature  two  days  before  the  Venusian  equinox  ; 
followed  on  the  day  of  the  equinox  by  a  high  barometer,  which 
extended  to  the  I4th,  retarding  the  Vulcanian  low  barometer 
three  days ;  which  only  made  itself  felt  for  two  days  ;  then  fol- 
lowed the  severe  cold  of  a  high  barometer,  that  retarded  the 
Mercurial  low  barometer  three  days.  After  this  low  barometer 
followed  a  high  barometer,  that  for  two  days  sent  the  mercury 
below  zero  ;  on  January  ist  and  2d  the  Vulcanian  low  barom- 
eter appeared,  being  accelerated  two  days  by  the  Mercurial  and 
Venusian  influence  yet  prevailing.  Then  came  a  high  barom- 
eter on  the  3d  to  the  5th,  with  thermometer  from  8  °  to  23  °  be- 
low zero  ;  followed  by  a  second  Vulcanian  low  barometer,  with 
temperature  from  3°  to  12°  above  from  the  6th  to  the  9th. 
To  this  succeeded  on  the  loth  a  high  barometer  that  continued 
to  the  1 6th,  with  a  temperature  from  o  to  23  °  below.  Another 
Vulcanian  equinox  occurred  January  27th.  The  high  barometer 
that  preceded  it  on  the  24th,  sent  the  mercury  33  °  below  zero 
at  Breckenridge.  The  low  barometer  at  the  equinox  brought 
the  mercury  up  only  to  o°  ,  and  on  the  29th  it  fell  again  to  16  ° 
below,  under  the  high  barometer,— the  highest  of  the  month- 
being  at  Pembina,3o.98  inches. 

A  Vulcanian  equinox  occurred  on  the  I9th  of  February,  1874. 
At  Breckenridge,  from  the  nth  to  the  i7th,  the  temperature 
ranged  from  3  °  to  25  °  below  zero.  With  the  Vulcanian  low 
barometer  it  rose  to  23°  above  on  the  iSth.  Under  the  high 
barometer  that  followed,  it  sank  to  29  °  below  on  the  25th.  On 
the  24th  the  thermometer  stood  at  —24  °  at  Cheyenne  ;  — 17  °  at 
Colorado  Springs  ;  — 9  °  at  Denver  ;  and  at  zero  at  Santa  Fe. 

A  Vulcanian  equinox  occurred  on  the  7th  of  January,  1875.    Of 


(201) 

the  low  barometer  succeeded  by  the  high  barometer  on  the  8th, 
we  have  already  spoken  ;  and  also  of  the  accompanying  earth 
currents.  The  temperature  on  the  8th  and  9th,  at  the  following 
stations,  was  :  Breckenridge,  8th,  — 31  °  ,  9th,  — 33  °  ;  Cheyenne, 
—23°,  —38°  ;  St.  Louis,  21°  on  8th,  — 15°  on  the  9th; 
Denver,  — 29°  on  the  9th — the  lowest  temperature  ever  ob- 
served there.  Mercury's  equinox  occurred  January  23d.  The 
high  barometer  that  preceded  it  on  the  I3th,  i/fth  and  i5th, 
sent  the  mercury  down  to  — 30  °  at  Pembina  ;  — 34  °  at  Breck- 
enridge ;  — 17  °  at  Omaha  ;  — 8  °  at  Chicago  ;  and  — 2  °  at  St. 
Louis.  Then  followed  the  low  barometer  of  the  Mercurial 
equinox,  whose  accompanying  storms  have  already  been  pre- 
sented. This  low  barometer  was  followed  by  high  barom- 
eters IX  and  X  of  the  Signal  Service,  producing,  on  the 
2yth  at  Mount  Washington,  the  extraordinary  low  temper- 
erature  of  45  °  below  zero.  The  Vulcanian  equinox  on  the 
3Oth  was  accompanied  by  a  low  barometer  on  the  date  of 
its  occurrence,  which  was  succeeded  on  the  2d  and  3d  of  Feb- 
ruary by  another  extremely  low  barometer,  29.10  inches,  followed 
on  the  6th  by  the  extraordinary  high  barometer  of  30.98  inches. 
The  Weather  Review  does  not  give  the  temperature  of  this  high 
barometer,  though  it  gives  a  list  of  the  low  temperatures  report- 
ed— -some  as  low  as  — 48  °  ;  yet  as  it  does  not  give  the  dates  of 
their  occurrence,  we  cannot  verify  so  much  of  the  theory  as  pos- 
tulates that  of  two  high  barometers  coming  from  the  Arctic 
region,  the  one  showing  the  greater  pressure,  being  the  more  en- 
ergetic, will  hence  effect  the  greater  change  in  temperature. 
This,  like  many  other  points  raised,  has  to  be  determined  by 
future  observations. 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  state  a  general  principle  so  fully  that 
a  captious  critic  cannot  find  facts  that  he  supposes  contradicts  it. 
The  earnest,  impartial  and  candid  investigator  too,  is  sometimes 
startled  and  perplexed  by  meeting  with  facts  that  he  is  unable  to 
reconcile  with  general  principles  that  he  has  verified  to  be  true. 
In  regard  to  that  part  of  the  theory  relating  to  hyemal  phenom- 
ena, we  have  endeavored  and  will  endeavor  to  enable  any  one 
who  candidly  wishes  to  attain  the  truth,  to  overcome  all  perplex- 
ities that  may  occur.  In  the  journals  in  which  I  first  called 
public  attention  to  planetary  cycles,  I  stated  in  general  terms  the 


(202) 

principles  of  the  theory,  and  the  manner  the  Atmosphere  is  affect- 
ed, both  in.Summer  and  in  Winter.  Amongst  the  facts  stated 
were,  that  generally  the  effect  in  Summer  was  excessive  precipi- 
tation ;  and  in  Winter  a  deficiency.  Captious  critics  immedi- 
ately called  upon  me  to  reconcile  this — as  they  styled  it — contra- 
diction. In  the  simplicity  of  their  hearts  they  had  never  risen  to 
the  conception  of  the  idea  that  the  economy  of  Nature  is  con- 
ducted upon  the  principle  of  alternation,  though  in  heat  and 
cold,  in  Summer  and  Winter,  in  sunshine  and  rain,  in  day  and 
night,  the  lesson  is  inscribed  upon  the  Earth  and  Sky.  They 
hence  failed  to  conceive  that  the  moving  force  of  the  Universe, 
Electricity,  must  have  alternate  states  also,  that  is,  it  must  be 
alternately  static  as  well  as  dynamic. 

Their  error  was  in  conceiving  it  to  be  continuously  dynamic. 
We  think  that  enough  has  been  said  to  enable  every  one  capable 
of  perceiving  the  difference  between  a  static  and  a  dynamic  con- 
dition, not  only  to  see  how  these  apparently  contradictory  results 
harmonize  with  the  theory,  but  the  principles  by  which  these  re- 
sults are  effected  and  the  absolute  necessity  for  them. 

An  apparent  contradiction  will  also  frequently,  and  we  may 
say  always,  be  observed  when  the  energy  and  temperature  of 
high  barometers  are  compared,  without  regard  to  their  sources. 
A  comparatively  feeble  Arctic  high  barometer  will  pour  out  air 
of  far  lower  temperature  than  the  highest  barometer  coming  from 
towards  the  Equator.  The  principle  will  only  hold  when  the 
temperature  of  one  Arctic  high  barometer  is  compared  with  that 
of  another ;  and  the  principle  is  mainly  stated  for  the  purpose  of 
drawing  attention  to  the  fact  that,  it  is  the  Arctic  high  barome- 
ters that  pour  the  intensely  cold  air  over  and  upon  continents. 
The  same  principle  obtains  in  the  southern  high  barometer  that 
pours  out  in  Summer  the  hot  and  desiccating  simoom  on  the 
southwestern  Plains,  as  we  have  already  stated.  On  the  Plains 
in  southeastern  Colorado,  by  personal  observation,  I  ascertained 
that  this  simoom  had  a  temperature  of  105  °  Fahrenheit. 

In  comparing  the  temperature  of  one  continent  with  that  of 
another,  at  the  same  season,  frequently  opposite  conditions  are 
found  to  prevail.  For  instance,  in  America  the  Winter  may  be 
mild,  and  in  Europe  unusually  severe.  Muller,  in  his  Kos- 
mischen  Physik,  shows  that  the  temperature  at  Berlin,  in  De- 


cember,  1829,  was  16  °  .6  Fahrenheit  below  the  December  aver- 
age for  that  locality.  In  Petersburg,  during  the  same  time, 
though  the  temperature  was  below  the  average,  yet  it  was  much 
less  so  than  at  Berlin  and  Paris.  In  Irkutsk,  Siberia,  it  was  con- 
siderably above  the  average  of  December  for  that  locality.  The 
same  was  the  case  in  Iceland  and  in  America.  Upon  what  prin- 
ciple, consistent  with  the  theory,  can  these  seemingly  contradic- 
tory facts  be  explained?  It  is  evident  that  during  that  time  an 
Arctic  high  barometer  was  pouring  down  upon  Western  Europe 
a  constant  stream  of  cold  air,  probably  supplied  by  the  polar 
low  barometer,  or  probably  the  one  in  Siberia  ;  for  since  the  tem- 
perature of  Siberia  was  above  the  average,  it  either  had  a  low 
barometer,  or  else  a  high  barometer — from  a  more  southern  lati- 
tude— had  swung  so  far  North  as  to  cover  Siberia,  which  is  not 
probable  ;  for  then  the  Asiatic  and  European  high  barometers, 
mutually  attracting  each  other,  as  all  similar  barometers  do, 
would  coalesce,  and  one  would  be  obliterated.  In  Iceland,  a 
dynamic  condition  prevailed,  because  it  is  normal  there  in  all 
seasons  of  the  year.  During  this  season  it  probably  drew  its 
supply  of  air  from  southern  latitudes.  In  America  the  con- 
dition was  like  in  Siberia,  either  dynamic  or  static.  If  the  lat- 
ter, then  the  prevailing  high  barometers  came  from  the  South. 
But  it  is  not  probable  that  a  static  condition,  that  is,  a  down- 
pour of  air  prevailed  for  so  long  a  time  simultaneously  over 
three  continents  in  the  same  zone.  That  there  was  a  high 
barometer  or  down-pour  of  cold  air  on  the  continent  of  Europe 
during  the  period,  is  incontestable.  But  as  we  have  said  before, 
whenever  there  is  a  down-pour,  there  must  also,  somewhere  in 
the  vicinage,  be  an  up-pour  to  carry  off  this  down-pour.  The 
probability  therefore  is  that,  either  Asia  or  America,  or  both, 
were  pouring  up  their  superincumbent  air ;  while  Europe  was 
drawing  it  down.  The  only  thing  extraordinary  about  this  phe- 
nomena is  the  continuance  and  protraction  of  these  states,  with- 
out material  change  for  so  long  a  term,  in  the  same  localities. 
These  however  are  questions  of  minor  importance,  and  are  only 
mentioned  because  they  may  be  stumbling  blocks  to  those  not 
yet  confirmed  in  the  faith  "that  maketh  wise  unto  intellectual 
salvation."  Other  questions  of  weightier  import  loom  up  that 
deserve  our  earnest  attention,  and  that  will  for  several  genera- 


(204) 

tions  tax  to  the  utmost  our  mental  resources  and  all  of  our  fund 
of  Knowledge  for  their  solution. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  perturbations  of  the  Earth  and  the 
Atmosphere  in  consequence  of  having  their  electric  condition 
intensified  by  a  periodical  augmentation  of  the  electric  tension 
of  one  or  more  other  planets  ;  and  we  have  demonstrated  that 
the  consequences  resulting  from  this  augmentation  are  physical 
paroxysms  in  both  the  Earth  and  Atmosphere.  What  purpose 
does  a  paroxysm  answer?  Or  is  it  without  a  purpose?  Does  it 
relieve  the  Earth  and  the  Atmosphere  from  an  abnormal  electric 
tension ;  or  does  it  leave  them  in  the  same  condition  they  were 
in  before  ?  If  it  does,  then  it  is  superfluous  ;  and  Nature  is  at 
fault  and  defective  ;  for  here  she  has  incorporated  in  the  struc- 
ture and  government  of  the  Universe  an  element  of  discord  that, 
instead  of  being  a  means  of  conservation,  is  not  only  one  of  de- 
struction, but  of  purposeless  destruction.  Who  can  believe  that 
Nature  is  guilty  of  such  an  absurdity,  not  to  say,  folly? 

These  periodical  flows  of  Electricity  and  consequent  paroxysms 
were  ordained  for  somewise  and  beneficent  purpose.  They  not 
only  quicken  the  Earth  from  its  centre  to  its  circumference,  but 
they  eventuate  in  spasms  that  throw  off  the  now  effete  force. 

But  the  Earth  is  not  the  only  planet  in  the  Solar  System  ;  it 
is  only  one  of  a  group.  Now,  as  a  member  of  a  group,  what- 
ever affects  it,  affects  all  the  rest ;  and  whatever  affects  any  other 
member,  affects  it ;  for  in  a  group  of  electrified  bodies  the  elec- 
tric tension  on  anyone  can  neither  be  augmented  nor  diminished 
without  affecting  a  corresponding  modification  of  the  electric 
condition  of  all.  If  the  Earth  relieves  itself  by  a  paroxysm, 
then  instantly  every  other  planet  must  do  the  same,  or  else  the 
equilibrium  of  the  Solar  System  would  become  unbalanced, 
which  would  be  attended  with  most  direful  consequences,  ending 
in  a  general  catastrophe.  Hence  if  it  be  the  Earth  that  is  first 
seized  with  a  paroxysm,  all  the  other  planets  must  follow  suit ; 
or  if  the  paroxysmal  crisis  first  supervenes  on  another  planet, 
the  Earth  instantly  catches  the  infection.  Each  planet  is,  as  it 
were,  distended  with  an  effete  element, — that  is  with  Electricity 
exhausted  of  all  its  ministering  and  nourishing  properties, — and 
with  the  usual  spasmodic  attack  imminent,  that  brings  relief.  Now 
it  may  be  the  Earth  or  some  other  planet  that  is  first  attacked, 


(205) 

but  the  infection  almost  instantly  spreads  to  the  whole  group.  It 
may  take  several  days,  or  even  a  week  or  more,  for  it  to  run  its 
course ;  hence  several  paroxysms  generally  follow  each  other  at 
short  intervals  during  the  crisis  imposed  by  a  planetary  equinox. 
Suppose  the  Earth  throws  off  first,  and  no  other  planet  responds 
immediately,  then  the  paroxysm  on  the  Earth  will  not  run  its 
full  course,  but  will  be  checked  up  and  temporarily  stopped  by 
the  controling  influence  the  unmoved  charges  on  the  other  plan- 
ets exert  upon  it.  But  as  one  planet  after  another  throws  off, 
the  last  planets  or  pla-net  that  does  so,  will  exhaust  its  charge  to 
the  extreme  limits  permitted  by  the  charges  on  the  other  planets. 
By  this  time  the  Earth  is  far  more  out  of  electric  equilibrium 
than  before,  and  another  and  a  more  violent  paroxysm  ensues 
than  the  first.  Other  planets  follow,  and  so  on  indefinitely  until 
equilibrium  in  the  system  is  once  more  established.  This  is  the 
true  cause  why,  when  there  is  extraordinary  high  electric  ten- 
sion,— as  there  always  is  during  the  prevalence  of  a  Jovial  per- 
turbation,— the  paroxysms  are  so  protracted,  for  they  must  con- 
tinue until  the  cause  of  them  is  exhausted. 

In  the  Earth  and  in  the  Atmosphere,  all  phenomena  are  insep- 
arably connected  with  high  and  low  barometers.  Even  earth- 
quakes are  not  an  exception.  Down-pours  and  up-pours,  or  an 
interchange  of  air  between  the  surface  and  the  bottom  of  the 
asrial  ocean,  are  the  means  by  which  -a  planet  receives  and  gives 
off  energy.  Analogy  leads  us  to  suspect  the  same  to  be  the  case 
with  the  Sun.  Sunspots  and  vast  protuberances  are  phenomena 
synchronous  with  planetary  equinoxes.  Secchi  observed  and 
drew  a  sunspot  on  the  5th  of  May,  1857,  ^na^  exactly  represents 
a  gigantic  whirlpool,  or  funnel,  into  the  interior  of  which  the 
photosphere  appears  to  be  rushing  with  an  eddying  motion. 
Photographic  pictures  of  sunspots,  taken  by  De  la  Rue,  when 
placed  side  by  side,  and  looked  at  through  a  stereoscope, 
exhibit  exactly  the  form  of  a  funnel.  The  inevitable  inference 
therefore  is,  that  sunspots  are  of  the  nature  and  character  of  the 
down-pouring  vortexes  of  high  barometers  in  our  Atmosphere. 
While  the  drawings  made  by  Young,  Zollner,  and  others,  of  pro- 
tuberances, so  exactly  resemble  the  up-pours  of  the  cyclonal  vor- 
tex under  a  low  barometer,  as  to  leave  no  doubt  of  their  identi- 
cal character.  But  we  have  fully  discussed  this  subject  in  Part 


(206) 

I.  We  only  call  attention  here  to  the  fact  that  the  Sun  suffers 
similar  paroxysms  as  the  planets  do  at  these  equinoctial  disturb- 
ances. 

Truth  is  always  prolific.  The  higher  our  standpoint  on  scien- 
tific truth,  the  more  enlarged  and  comprehensive  is  our  view  of 
the  Universe.  Many  objects — though  being  upon  higher  ground, 
yet  hidden  before — of  the  highest  interest  and  importance,  now 
loom  up  and  beckon  us  to  come  up  higher.  Complying  with 
their  invitation,  we  soon  find  ourselves  on  an  immeasurably 
higher  elevation,  with  views  proportionally  enlarged,  yet  dis- 
closing still  higher  ground.  Such  upward  progress  can  be  pur- 
sued indefinitely,  for  as  the  mysteries  and  resources  of  Nature 
are  our  subject  matter,  we  can  never  exhaust  it.  Hence  it  is 
impossible  for  us  to  set  bounds  to  Human  Progress  in  Science  in 
the  Great  Future  that  is  before  us.  But  this  progress  is  condi- 
tioned, that  we  lay  every  step  in  it  upon  the  immovable  bed-rock 
of  Truth. 

In  these  paroxysms  of  planets  we  have  seen  they  receive, 
through  the  down-pouring  column  of  air,  energy  from  Space, 
which  they  return  through  the  upheaving  column,  as  soon  as  it  has 
performed  its  functions  in  the  economy  of  the  planet.  All  electri- 
cians know  that  Electricity  can  only  pass  from  one  point  to 
another  by  one  of  two  ways,  namely,  Conduction  where  Matter 
is  continuous,  and  Convection  when  it  is  discontinuous.  The 
problem,  therefore,  confronting  us  is  :  If  it  be  Electricity  that 
comes  from  Space  and  returns  thither,  what  gives  it  Convection? 
We  direct  attention  to  this  problem,  not  with  a  view  of  discuss- 
ing it,  that  we  have  already  done  elsewhere,*  but  to  point  out" 
that  the  line  of  thought  we  are  pursuing,  must  ultimately  embrace 
in  its  scope  the  condition  of  Space,  and  settle  the  mooted  point 
whether  it  is  a  vacuum  or  a  plenum.  It  will  do  more.  It  will 
show  the  interaction  and  relation  between  Space  and  the  orbs 
which  are  sparsely  disseminated  throughout  its  boundless  realms. 

CONCLUSION. 
When  starting  to  explore  the  immense  field  traversed  by  us, 

*NOTE. — In  Part  I,  and  more  especially  in  a  work  in  preparation,  giv- 
ing the  cause  of  Meteoric  Showers;  and  an  astronomical  demonstration 
of  that  cause  and  a  verification  of  it  by  historical  facts. 


(207) 

we  took  for  our  sole  guides  the  known  laws  and  causes  operat- 
ing in  and  upon  our  own  Globe,  as  far  as  we  could  apprehend 
them  by  contemplating  physical  facts  inscribed  upon  the  Earth 
and  upon  the  Sky.  At  no  time,  either  by  day  or  night,  and  at 
no  point  on  our  route,  however  indistinct  and  obscure,  have  they 
failed  us  ;  although  we  were  surveying  unknown  fields,  travers- 
ing unexplored  regions,  and  were  surrounded  by  strange  scenes  and 
unfamiliar  objects  while  pushing  a  reconnoissance  to  the  verge 
of  the  Universe,  where  abysms  gaped  wide,  whose  depths  no 
mortal  ken  can  pierce,  nor  human  reason  fathom.  The  greatest 
and  most  imposing  castle  erected  by  Error  in  the  Past,  we  have 
seen  crumble  and  disappear  like  a  dissolving  view  in  a  phantas- 
magoria. We  have  discovered  that  neither  the  Solar  System 
nor  the  Universe  is  a  Mechanism,  passively  obeying  commen- 
.surable  and  mechanical  laws  ;  but  that  both  are  symmetrically  con- 
stituted, and  most  delicately  adjusted  systems  of  worlds,  affected  by 
polar  forces  operating  with  omnipotent  energy,  yet  each  member 
inherently  contributing  to  the  preservation  and  highest  welfare  of 
all,  while  securing  the  stability  and  permanency  of  the  whole. 
We  have  seen  that  taking  either  the  Solar  System,  or  the  Uni- 
verse, though  its  members  are  distributed  over  immense  distan- 
ces in  Space,  yet  it  is  an  indissoluble  Unity,  bound  together  by 
such  intimate  ties  and  sympathies,  that  whatever  affects  one 
member,  sends  a  thrill  that  vibrates  through  the  whole  system. 
We  have  pointed  out  this  mysterious  bond  of  union  and  sympa- 
thy ;  and  in  the  eclaircissement  of  physical  phenomena,  from  the 
most  obscure,  indistinct  and  inobtrusive,  to  the  most  conspicuous, 
wonderful  and  imposing,  we  have  unfolded  its  laws  so  plainly  and 
clearly  that  "he  who  runs  may  read,"  and  understand,  and  com- 
prehend the  most  amazing,  beautiful  and  complicated  problems 
proposed,  in  the  structure  of  the  Universe,  for  Man's  admiration, 
solution  and  inspiration. 

While  we  claim  to  have  done  this,  yet  we  have  by  no  means 
exhausted  the  mysteries  surrounding  us  on  every  side,  that  stare 
us  in  the  face  in  every  direction  we  glance,  and  are  discovered 
at  all  points  to  which  we  fix  attention.  Nay,  we  have  hardly 
trenched  upon  their  borders.  At  most  the  investigation  has 
revealed  only  what  was  partially  concealed  before  ;  and  directed 
attention  and  inquiry  to  points  hitherto  passed  by  and  neglected. 


(20S) 

New  orders  of  facts,  new  causes  and  relations,  extending  into 
the  illimitable  depths  of  Space,  have  been  disclosed,  and  we 
have  endeavored  to  give  their  most  obvious  interpretation. 

As  we  advanced,  wider  fields  for  observation  and  exploration 
opened  before  us,  tempting  us  to  enter  and  possess  them,  but  we 
had  to  exercise  self-denial  and  leave  them  to  future  generations 
to  appropriate,  survey,  occupy  and  cultivate.  We  have  con- 
tented ourselves  with  the  mundane  sphere  ;  and  have  imposed 
upon  ourselves  the  humble  task  of  ascertaining  and  making  a 
full  inventory  of  all  the  facts  occurring  therein,  with  their  varia- 
tions and  modifications,  according  to  circumstances  and  condi- 
tions. Such  a  task  is  the  prose  of  Science,  but  at  the  end  of  it, 
comes  inspiration  and  poetry.  We  have  indulged  Fancy  but 
sparingly  ;  at  most  only  to  try  her  unfledged  wings  in  short  flights, 
not  much  above  the  level  of  the  common  place,  because  in  our 
enthusiasm  we  could  not  help  it;  but  we  have  rigorously  not 
permitted  her  to  pass  the  boundary  of  clear  intuition,  circum- 
scribed by  the  logical  deductions  of  Reason.  Whenever  our 
inventory  of  facts  relating  to  a  given  point  were  full  enough  to 
justify  it,  we  have  made  deductions  of  all  the  laws  and  causes 
warranted  by  the  facts,  of  the  physical  phenomena  in  question. 
Nor  did  we  leave  the  matter  here,  but  we  proceeded  and  demon- 
strated the  truth  of  the  deductions  thus  made  by  incontestable 
facts.  We  have  literally  and  rigidly  obeyed  the  injunction  of 
Locke,  "In  Science  write  demonstratively,"  and  have  endeav- 
ored to  lay  the  foundation  of  the  Temple  of  Science  upon  the 
immovable  bed-rock  of  facts.  The  walls  of  the  edifice  will  rise 
dazzling  with  beauty  and  resplendent  with  Light,  as  fast  as  com- 
pact and  cemented  facts,  the  necessary  material  for  its  erection 
can  be  collected.  In  the  day  of  its  triumphant  completion,  we 
hope  our  humble  labors  will  be  worthy  of  so  much  recognition 
as  to  be  estimated  as  a  handful  of  sand  gathered  on  the  shores  of 
the  Ocean  of  Time,  and  contributed  to  the  great  end. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX  I. 


PLANETARY  EQUINOXES  FROM  THE  YEAR  1866  TO  1884. 

Vulcan  (o).         Mercury  (O).         V^nus  (0).         Terrestrial  (not  given). 


Months 

$ 

oo 

t^ 

8 

1 

$ 

a 

00 

£ 

t>. 

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f5 
t>» 

CO 

I-N. 

CO 

0? 

| 

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!>. 

CO 

CO 

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£ 

$ 

CO 

oc 

f 

C^ 

00 

Jan. 

9 
26 

6 
29 

c 
27 

8 

12 

18 

15 

'is 
81 

18 

21 

£ 
# 

4 

2J 

10 

IO 

—  ___ 

8 

1^ 

16 

27 

14 

19 

1 

22 

S 

1* 

5 

8 

II 

24 

27 

•  *  i 

~ 

31 

"  *  * 

Feb. 

18 
22 

9 

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i 
5 
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27 

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10 

5 

13 

16 
18 

5 

19 

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22 

2 

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9 

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ii 

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is' 

4 

28 

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-3 

5 

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16 

19 

22 

25 

j 

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ii 

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8 

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f. 

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«3 

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To 

2O 

iTicn.  - 

25 

29 

3f> 

^1 

1*7 

20 

23 

26 

1  i\ 

28 

^i 

OK 

Apr.  - 

2 

7 

8 

ii 
25 

11 

H 
.90 

2 

i7 

20 

<?9 

16 

23 

J 

^r> 

^ 

6 

»'i 

7 

12 

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2 

18 
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12 

21 

i 
24 

4 
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2 
1  ft 

3 

IO 

13 

(. 

?8 

,'io 

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O/J 

*    *    * 

•  •  • 

o/» 

May.  \ 

2X 

21 

i 
8 

24 

4 

«Z 

*l 

3« 

10 
12 

13 

16 
28 
3O 

17 

19 

4 

22 

2 
25 

21 

28 
28 

8 
8 

31 

ii 

H 
26 

2 

*3 

»>f/ 

20 

3° 
3^ 

i^ 

26 

3 

6 

27 

June  -I 

13 

16 
21 

?/» 

8 
19 

22 

2 
25 

25 

i£ 

*>^ 

8 

1  1 
30 

l? 

4 

!7 

x?«^> 

20 

21 

23 

8 

lf\ 

6 
25 

2I 

2 

15 

'is 

o^r 

29 
16 

21 

( 

28 

29 

.... 

•  •  . 

»/  1 

•    •    • 

4 

9 

12 

8 

i 

4 

>j 

10 

4 

Q 

511 

July  { 

6 
2,? 

22 

15 

18 
«,9 

21 
^6 

13 

24 

27 

23 

•5Q 

18 

13 

16 

*y 
22 
^»5 

22 

25 

26 

->Q 

3 

£3 

II 

H 

( 

20 

71 

«>/x 

Aug.  j 

17 

21 

i 
4 

24 

4 

27 

2O 
21 

8 

10 

J3 

16 
26 

3 
*? 

22 

2 

25 
31 

1 

28 

8 
^f> 

-?! 

ii 

'4 
22 

8 
i? 

2O 

20 

31 

>«i 

J 

26 

»>(l 

6 

V 

3° 

29 

17 

16 

4 

2 

C 

8 

14. 

17 

s 

17 

7 

1«> 

30 

17 

1* 

IQ 

2  "* 

21 

8 

28 

8 

6 

4 

20 
/> 

23 

4 

-,<? 

6 

2 

... 

0 

// 

1y 

... 

29 

12 

15 

lo 

2  I 

6 

12 

4 

/> 

i 

4 

7 

IO 

•I 

16 

8 

5 

2 

8 

29 

{1 

8 

15 

18 

21 

2 

9 

27 

7 

4 

K 

j-g 

J9 

5 

5 

A 

9 

11 

ft* 

H 

•*T 

*/ 

•  •  * 

25 

.  .  . 

3 

i 

4 

7 

4 

r 

s 

j; 

^ 

4 

21 

24 

27 

7 
3° 

10 

4 

13 

16 

*^ 

9 

q 

4 

2  C 

J 

8 

4 

8 

7 

20 

2 

J3> 

6 

36 

. 

i 

J9 

Dec.  j 

'1 

4 

"7 

i 
20 

.9 

2i3 

4 

26 

5 
6 
29 

9 

.9 

2 

3 

O 

5 

8 

i 

7 

r 
.9 
4 

24 

1 
4 

7 

7 

0 

o 
8 

5 

.9 

3 

6 

9 

9 

APPENDIX    I— CONTINUED. 

The  TERRESTRIAL  EQUINOXES  occur  on  the  22cl  of  March 
and  September  in  each  year. 

MARTIAL  EQUINOXES  have  occurred  and  will  occur  in  the 
years  embraced  in  the  following  table  : 

November  i9th,  1866.  April  i2th,  1876. 

October  27th,  1867.  March  2ist,  1877. 

October  5th,  1868.  February  28th,  1878. 

September  i4th,  1869.  February  6th,  1879. 

August  23d,  1870.  January  i5th,  1880. 

August  6th,  1871.  December  24th,  1880. 

July  9th,  1872.  December  3d,  1881. 

June  i7th,  1873.  November  nth,  1882. 

May  27th,  1874.  October  2Oth,  1883. 

May  4th,  1875.  September  29th,  1884. 

JOVIAL  EQUINOXES,  September  25th,  1871;  August  i,  1877; 
and  July  6th,  1883. 

SATURNIAN  EQUINOX  November  i2th,  1877. 

DIRECTIONS  FOR  FINDING  THE  DATES  OF  EQUINOXES. 

To  find  whether  a  given  physical  phenomenon  occurred  at  or 
about  a  Jovial  equinox,  reduce  the  clays  and  number  of  months 
to  the  decimal  of  a  year  ;  subtract  the  date  thus  reduced  from 
1871.74,  or  any  of  the  Jovial  periods  given,  and  divide  the  re- 
mainder, n.86,  the  length  of  the  Jovial  year.  If  there  be  a  re- 
mainder, then  reduce  the  decimal  part  to  months  and  days,  and 
it  is  the  exact  time  the  equinox  occurred,  after  the  event.  If  it 
be  short  a  small  fraction,  then  the  equinox  occurred  that  much 
before  the  event. 

To  FIND  THE    DATE  OF  A  VENUSIAN  EQUINOX. Suppose    you 

wish  to  find  whether  a  Venusian  equinox  had  anything  to  do 
with  the  hurricane  that  destroyed  Surat  in  India,  April  22d,  1782, 
subtract  1782  from  1874,  1878  or  from  any  other  year  given  in  the 
table  that  will  give  a  remainder  divisible  by  4,  then  multiply  1.2 
day  by  the  number  of  tens  in  the  remainder,  and  add  the  pro- 
duct to  the  date  of  the  equinox  in  the  year  in  the  table  taken, 
and  it  will  give  approximately  the  date  of  the  equinoxes  for  the 
year  sought.  Thus,  if  the  year  1874  be  taken,  then  the  remain- 
der is  92  years,  which  is  divisible  by  4,  and  9.2  times  1.2  day  is 


H.04  days,  which  added  to  April  3d,  the  day  of  the  equi- 
nox in  1874,  gives  April  i3th,  1782,  as  the  date  of  the  Vcn- 
usian  equinox.  Hence  it  occurred  9  days  before  the  hurri- 
cane. Exact  calculation  would  bring  it  still  closer. 

To  FIND  THE    DAY  OF  A  MERCURIAL  EojJINOX  FOR    ANY    PAST 

EVENT.— Suppose  it  is  desired  to  find  whether  a  Mercurial 
equinox  had  occurred  near  the  time  the  ship  Earl  of  Moir  was 
wrecked,  August  8th,  1821.  Now,  since  on  every  23  years,  or 
on  any  multiple  of  23,  the  Mercurial  equinoxes  occur  on  the 
same  days:  therefore  add  23  to  1821  until  it  comes  within  the 
limits  of  the  years  in  the  table,  46  added  to  1821  gives  1867,  and 
Mercury's  equinoxes  occurred  in  1821  on  the  same  days  they  did 
in  1867.  The  table  therefore  shows  Mercury's  equinox  occurred 
on  the  4th  of  August,  1821,  or  four  days  before  the  disaster.  The 
following  table  will  assist  in  making  calculations  : 

For  i  year  add  13  days.  For  33  years  add  2  days. 

For  6  years  subtract  8  days.         For  46  years  subtract  7  hours. 
For  7  years  add  6  days.  For  105  years  subtract  3  days. 

For  10  years  add  2  days.  For  125  years  add  i  day. 

For  13  years  subtract  2  days.        For  217  years  add  §  day. 
For  20  years  add  4  days.  For  309  years  subtract  ^  hours. 

For  23  years  subtract  3  hours.  For  572  years  subtract  2  hours. 
The  equinoxes  of  Vulcan  are  only  approximations.  As  now 
provisionally  fixed  in  every  23  years,  they  occur  on  the  same 
days.  .By. inspection  of  the  table  it  is  seen  they  advance  three 
days  every  year  going  forward,  and  recede  three  days  going 
backward.  Hence,  in  counting  backward,  we  multiply  the 
years  by  3,  and  subtract  the  remainder  from  the  date  taken,  thus 
in  ten  years  the  equinoxes  will  all  have  receded  10  times  3  days, 
or  30 ;  dividing  which  by  23  leaves  a  remainder  of  7  days,  which 
subtract  from  the  date  of  the  equinoxes  in  1876,  gives  the  equi- 
noxes in  1866,  and  so  on  with  any  of  the  years  taken  in  the  table. 
This  it  will  be  seen  is  for  calculating  his  equinoxes  in  the  Past. 
To  find  those  of  the  Future,  we  must  reverse  the  order,  that  is, 
add  where  we  subtract,  and  subtract  where  we  add. 

The  Table  to  find  Mercury's  equinoxes  also  has  reference  to 
the  Past ;  to  find  those  in  the  Future,  reverse  the  process  de- 
scribed in  the  table,  that  is,  add  where  the  table  says  subtract, 
and  vice  versa. 


APPENDIX  II. 


FORMS  OF  CLOUDS. 

Meteorology  takes  precedence  of  all  Physical  Sciences  in  its 
constant  and  direct  application  to  immediate  use.  It  affects  all 
conditions  in  life,  and  all  employments  and  industrial  pursuits. 
Hence  all  are  interested  in  it  and  concerned  about  it,  and  must 
feel  more  or  less  desire  to  know  what  will  be  the  character  of 
the  impending  meteorological  changes  ;  and  at  what  time  they 
are  likely  to  appear.  We  may  know  the  astronomical  epochs 
when  these  changes  will  recur,  the  causes  that  bring  them  about, 
the  modes  by  which  they  are  effected,  and  the  laws  that  govern 
them  ;  yet  these  do  not  fix  the  time  with  sufficient  precision  to 
make  it  at  all  times  available  for  practical  purposes.  The  rea- 
son why  this  is  so  is  because  there  are  so  many  adventitious 
causes  constantly  occurring,  not  yet  subordinated  to  known  and 
fixed  laws,  that  accellerate  or  retard  the  development  of  phe- 
nomena. Additional  knowledge  is  therefore  necessary,  which 
will  enable  us  to  determine  the  presence  or  absence  of  these  ad- 
ventitious causes,  and  to  detect  the  incipient  stages,  and  watch 
the  progress  of  the  development  of  the  coming  phenomenon. 

One  item  in  this  additional  knowledge  is  to  be  able  to  inter- 
pret the  movements  of  the  mercurial  column  in  the  barometer. 
This  point  is  fully  discussed  in  Part  I.  But  above  all  it  is  neces- 
sary to  be  able  to  read  and  understand  what  is  written  on  the 
clouds  and  sky,  in  the  color  of  the  latter  and  in  the  form  and 
shapes  of  the  former. 

The  formation  of  clouds  can  be  studied  most  advantageously 
in  elevated  mountain  regions,  where  they  are  daily  produced 
under  the  eye  of  the  observer.  During  several  summers,  while 
sojourning  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  of  Colorado,  I  had  ample 
opportunities  to  watch  and  observe  the  whole  process,  from  its 
incipiency,  in  the  attenuated  mist  that  in  the  early  part  of  the 


(vi) 

day  appears  over  every  towering  pinnacle  of  the  Snowy  Range, 
until  it  culminated  in  the  thunder  storm,  and  then  its  gradual 
wasting  away  until  it  finally  sunk  back  and  disappeared  in  the 
same  pinnacle  from  which  it  sprung.  As  in  Part  I  the  whole 
process  is  described,  step  by  step,  and  the  laws  and  causes  in 
which  the  phenomenon  originates  and  is  controlled,  further 
remarks  on  this  point  would  be  out  of  place  here. 

Cloud  formation  has  many  modifications,  but  are  generally 
classed  into  the  following  five  primary  divisions:  (i)  Stratus-, 
(2)  Cirrus;  (3)  Cumulus;  (4)  Cirro-cumulus;  and,  (5) 
Nimbus.  All  these  species  are  represented  in  the  engraving 
fronting  the  title  page.  There  are  other  intermediate  forms, 
representing  the  transition  state  between  the  five  primary  forms, 
which  in  a  short  time,  by  daily  observation,  are  readily  recog- 
nized and  distinguished.  A  few  remarks  may  be  necessary  to 
enable  the  reader  to  recognize  and  perceive  the  differences  in 
these  forms  and  to  interpret  their  meaning. 

The  classification  is  that  of  Luke  Howard,  presented  in  1802 
Prof.  Andre  Poey  has  presented  another  classification,  but  which 
is  too  complicated  for  the  general  reader. 

(1)  The  stratus  is  the  bed  or  covering  cloud,  which,   at  all 
seasons, — but  more  especially  in  Autumn, — appears  near  sunset 
and  rests   all   night,   till   after   sunrise  next   morning,  along  the 
edge  of  the  horizon.     It  is  most  frequent  on  the  evening  of  a  day 
when  cumulus  clouds  have  prevailed  but  vanished  towards  sun- 
set.    It  seems  to  be  formed  of  a  kind  of  a  mist  or  fog  thrown  up 
by  the  Earth,  or  that  has  settled  down  from  the  dissolved  cumu- 
lus, and  is  positively  electrified.      Hence  on  the  night  it  prevails 
little  if  any  dew  falls.     It  must  be  distinguished  from  what  has 
been  called  the  cirro-stratus.     The  former  is  a  whitish  grey,  the 
latter  is  of  a  lead  color,  and  when  it  prevails  heavy  dews  fall. 
The  prevalence  of  stratus  clouds  indicate  approaching  rain. 

(2)  The  cirrus  or  curled  cloud  is  so-called  because  it  is  fre- 
quently seen  with  recurved  tufts  or  wisps.     It  is  the  highest  of 
all  clouds,  and  is  either  the  outflow  over  the  upheaving  column 
of  a  low  barometer,  or  the  remnant  or  skeleton  of  a  storm  cen- 
tre, after  the  latter  has  become  exhausted.     They  generally  pre- 
cede rains,  and  when  they  enlarge  and  become  dense  they  indi- 
cate copious  rainfalls.     When   their   edges  are  sharply  defined 


(vii) 

upon  an  intensely  deep  blue  sky,  they  indicate  heavy  thunder 
storms. 

(3)  The  cumulus  cloud  is  readily  recognized  by  its  heaped  or 
piled  appearance,  which  is  the  meaning  of  the  word  cumulus. 
When  detached  cumulus  clouds  gather  together  they  form  what 
are  called  stack  en-clouds,  which  is  the  transition  state  between 
the    cumulus    and    the    nimbus.       The    stacken-cloud    rapidly 
passes  into  the  nimbus.     When  stacken-clouds  become  capped 
with  a  hood-cloud,  like  mountains  often  are,  or  when  the  cirrus 
above  them  enlarges  and  increases  in  density,  then  heavy  storms 
are  near  at  hand. 

(4)  The    cirro-cumulus    cloud    is    intermediate    between   the 
cirrus  and  the  cumulus.     The  sky  when  flecked  with  cirro-cum- 
ulus clouds,  has  received  the  common  name  k'  mackerel-backed." 
It  always  indicates  an  electric  change  as  going  on,  and  the  near 
approach  of  a  low  barometer  ;  consequently  a  rise  in  temperature. 
In  Winter  it  indicates  the  breaking  up  of  frosts  and  the  coming 
on  of  rainy  weather. 

(5)  The  nimbus  is  the  storm  or    rain    cloud.     It  is   the    last 
stage  of  cloud  formation,  and  passes  away  in   the   rain   it  pours 
down  upon  the  Earth.     It  is  intensely  electric,   in  consequence 
of  which  in  daytime  has   an  orange   hue  by  which   it  is  easily 
recognized  ;  and  at  night  it  is  more  or  less  luminous. 

No  rain  ever  falls,  nor  need  be  apprehended  when  a  grey  sky 
prevails.  But  the  deeper  the  serenity  and  the  more  intensely 
blue  the  sky  is,  the  more  certain  not  only  the  occurrence  of 
rain  immediately,  but  of  its  copiousness.  In  such  a  state  of  the 
weather,  not  only  is  the  margin  of  the  cloud  sharply  defined 
upon  the  sky,  but  the  involutions  and  convolutions  of  cloud 
upon  cloud  is  equally  well  defined,  and  the  clouds  themselves 
seem  smooth,  as  though  composed  of  ice.  Signs  like  these  are 
unmistakable  evidence  not  only  of  the  imminence  of  storms,  but 
of  their  energy. 


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